Starting Again by Smooth
by Smooth
Summary: The Scooby Gang, An upper level demon is building an army of vampires to take over the underworld and become the new source. The Charmed Ones, Xfiles and Nikita join forces with the Scooby Gang to stop the threat.


Starting Again Sequel to "Forging Alliances" Author: Smooth (Randall Rodríguez)  
  
The characters that belong to the TV series of Buffy, the X-Files, Nikita, and Charmed will be returned unharmed. Credits to those that made them. You know who they are. Well, some of you may not know who they are, but they are not mine! The rest of the characters and demons however are part of my overactive imagination.  
  
Thanks to: -My dear Beta reader and awesome writer Panthea. She helped me so much; I think I should have placed her name as the author instead! Seriously, she is that great! -Red Thunder for getting me started and providing excellent feedback! -Randall Porras for requesting this sequel.  
  
Without their support, I would have never jumped into this adventure.  
  
Although this is a sequel to 'Forging Alliances', it can be read separately.  
  
Ok... Enough chitchat and on with the story.  
  
Chapter 1 September 2002  
  
The orange light of the sunset hit the dust and smoke left by dark Ford speeding down the lonely road to nowhere. It looked surreal, like if the car was somehow spitting fire from its tail pipe.  
  
The two passengers of the dark Ford tiredly looked at each other with worry in their eyes. There was no need to say a word. They had been working together for so long that could almost read each other's mind.  
  
Hunted down by the FBI and the Military, the two ex-FBI agents had tried to disappear, but so far they have not found a safe place to start their new life.  
  
It was over two months ago since that faithful day when Deputy Director Kersh had decided to stand by Mulder's side and help him escape from military execution. Skinner had always been by their side fighting for their beliefs, but Kersh had been another story. Mulder still didn't understand why he had helped them Why, after trying so hard to bring down the X-Files and Agent Dogget with it, had he changed his mind? Maybe the risible trial I was subjected to opened his eyes. Yeah! I think he saw the truth then and there. Perhaps, he had discovered that he loathed being just another puppet in the hands of those trying to control our government and our lives.  
  
Mulder was right. Director Kersh may or may not have believed all of Mulder's incredible story and Skinner's futile attempts to free his friend, but even the dumbest of them all could see that the trial was nothing more than a parody to sentence an innocent man to death. The fact that Mulder had become the most annoying thorn the consortium and all its "branches" had ever had was no reason to kill an innocent man. Kersh had known that, and that was the reason why he had decided to help them the moment they needed it most.  
  
These thoughts kept running through Mulder's eidetic memory with lightening speed, remembering everything with such clarity that it seemed like he was living it again. How I missed Scully when we were apart. She was by my side throughout it all and never abandoned me. She went through hell for me and here I am, taking her into the unknown once again. I would do anything to keep her safe  
  
Scully was watching her lover's profile. "A penny for your thoughts."  
  
Mulder came back to reality at the sound of Scully's voice. "What?"  
  
Scully became serious. "I know what you are thinking, Mulder, and let me tell you this much. You are not getting rid of me just because you are feeling guilty that I am once more in danger. I choose to be here. I want to be here and nobody will make me change my mind about that. Not even you. I let you once, but that time without you was worse than anything we have ever faced!" Scully looked at Mulder sweetly and smiled. "I want to be with you."  
  
Mulder turned his face to look at the wonderful woman by his side. God, how much I love her! What have I done to deserve such devotion and love? "Thank you Scully. I . I . I'm just afraid I'll fail you again. If we're captured, you'll be accused as well and you know what their intentions are."  
  
"You have never failed me, Mulder! There is no one else I'd rather have as a partner, lover or friend. I feel safer when I am with you." Smiling widely, she continued, "Besides, all this outlaw thing is kind of exciting."  
  
Mulder couldn't help but smile. What would I do without her?  
  
"So, do you have any idea where can we go and hide for a while? We've tried both borders and they're both shut tighter than a safe. Without the Lone Gunmen by our side on this, there is little chance we can successfully leave this country." She wanted to kick herself in the butt as soon as she saw Mulder's frown and sad eyes when he heard her mention their mutual recently deceased friends. "I am sorry, Mulder."  
  
"That's OK, Scully. I miss them but they died, as heroes, and I know that they would have wanted me to remember them that way. Heroes!" So long, my friends. I really miss you guys. I feel like an old man sometimes, so much I've done, so much I've seen. Aliens, mutants, vampires.vampires! That's it! Why didn't I think of that before? Mulder suddenly stepped on the brakes and looked at Scully.  
  
The car skidded on the hard asphalt with a screech of tires and burned rubber. Scully yelped in panic when she felt the seat belt tightening on her chest, and the momentum taking her closer to the dashboard. "Are you insane? What's come over you, Mulder?" She stopped her tirade when she saw Mulder's face. He seemed excited and there was that spark in his eyes that Scully knew only too well. Mulder had an idea. "Spit it out, Mulder."  
  
Mulder squealed, "Vampires! That's it!"  
  
Scully frowned. Oh God, he's lost it! "What on earth are you talking about?"  
  
Mulder took a second to calm down. He had found the perfect place for hiding. He tried to speak slowly to his worried companion. "Vampires, Scully... You know, like in, Vampire Slayer? Sunnydale? Ring any bells?"  
  
Scully's frown deepened. "Mulder, I think you've finally lost your marbles this time. From what you told me, Sunnydale sits on a so-called the Hellmouth because it is a playground for vampires, demons, monsters, and all those things that make my skin crawl just from the thought that they might actually be real. So, my dear, did you lose them or what?"  
  
Mulder looked puzzled. "Lose them, Scully?"  
  
"Yeah, your marbles," Scully retorted.  
  
Once again, Mulder had to smile. "Who would think of looking for us there? The local police there don't even notice all the things crawling inside their town much less take notice of us!" Mulder's smile grew noticeably. "Besides, we do not have anyone else to turn to, and our friend Buffy can keep us safe from the nasty citizens of the night." Then using his famous puppy dog look he begged, "Come on, Scully, say yes! It will be fun!"  
  
Scully couldn't fight Mulder's charm, and she knew it. Oh no. Not the puppy dog look! He looks so defenseless, so cute, so. damn it, Mulder! It's not fair! I can never say no to you. "What am I going to do with you, Mulder?" Oh hell, at least we have a destination now!   
  
Mulder said, chuckling, "I have a couple of dirty ideas in my mind that could answer that question," turning his eyes back to the road as he pushed on the accelerator.  
  
Rolling her eyes, Scully laughed at his comeback. It was so.so.Mulder!  
  
Part 2 September 2002, Friday, sundown, two miles outside Sunnydale, CA.  
  
With a happy grin on his face, Mulder read the big green sign 'Welcome to Sunnydale'. He looked as his companion who had fallen asleep sometime back after getting bored of the monotonous sight of vast empty lands. She is so beautiful. maybe I should propose and get done with it. We love each other so I doubt she would say no. Well, there will be time to think about that later. I better wake her up. Mulder placed a hand on Scully's left shoulder. "Wake up, sleeping beauty. We've arrived."  
  
After so many years of training and dangerous assignments, Scully was capable of waking up to the smallest sound so a second after Mulder touched her shoulder, she was back in the world of the living, moving quickly, assessing their current whereabouts. Then, looking at her watch, she exclaimed, "Oh my God, Mulder, I've been sleeping for over three hours! That means you have been driving for over eight! You should have woken me up before to help you drive."  
  
Mulder smiled at her. "That's OK, Scully. I like to drive, but thanks for the offer."  
  
Scully couldn't help but tease him. "It is not only that, you're risking my life. I don't want to end up in a ditch because my irresponsible chauffer fell asleep!"  
  
Opening his eyes wide in merriment and amusement, Mulder had a witty reply for that. "Tsk, tsk, doing it with the chauffer, eh? What would your high class girlfriends think of you??"  
  
With a devilish smile, Scully looked at Mulder. "That I am lucky to have such a handsome chauffer to do it with? Or maybe they would want me to lend you to them?"  
  
With his ego a bit pumped by Scully's remarks, Mulder's smile grew bigger, but this time he remained quiet. Downtown Sunnydale was up ahead Not very impressive, but at least it's secluded.  
  
"Do you know Buffy's address? I only remember Willow's e-mail address," asked Scully.  
  
"Don't worry. It shouldn't be too hard to find, and even if we can't find her address, we can still look for a computer with internet access and send Willow an e-mail in case. The evil fang gang boys and girls are up and hunting by now, so we should look for a nice hotel and hit the sack. Tomorrow, we can start the search of our friends."  
  
The red headed beauty nodded. "I can't wait to meet the Scooby Gang. Buffy told me so much about them that I feel like I've known them forever."  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale, Buffy's House, Friday 7PM  
  
"I am telling you, Willow. I know how you feel, but it is time for you to move on. We're still here, and we love you and need you too. It's been four months since Tara died, and."  
  
Willow looked back at Dawn. Those empty red eyes made Dawn wish she had bitten her tongue before blurting out the word 'Tara'.  
  
Willow had been grieving for too long already, but she was definitely still not ready to hear her name. A deep maddening sadness filled the beautiful redhead's eyes. Everyone had tried to cheer her up. Everyone had tried to help, and it seemed that it was finally working, but they still had to be careful when they spoke to their friend. Xander was the only one who could have long conversations with her. She seemed to wait for his daily visit, sometimes cry on his shoulder like she had done that fateful day when she had tried to destroy the world and, thanks to Xander's brave heart and his love for the young witch, the disaster had been stopped. She owed him so much and thanked him every time she could for his unconditional love and friendship. She felt that he had never failed her and yet she had failed everyone.  
  
The redheaded witch finally spoke. "I'm OK, Dawn. I just want to be alone for a while."  
  
Dawn cringed at Willow's words. She felt her eyes sting with unshed tears, but held them back. The last Willow needed was another broken soul trying to depress her even more. "I'm sorry Will, I have this big mouth, you know, and things just come out of it sometimes without thinking." God, she looks nothing like the usually energetic woman she was a few months ago. She looks like she's lost about 10 pounds, but at least she is finally coming out of the shell and speaking to us. "OK, if you need anything, I will be down in the kitchen.." Dawn paused for a second, and then displaying her best smile, she said, "I came up with some new recipes for my school lunch. Would you like to try one of my culinary specialties?"  
  
Willow couldn't help but giggle. The teenager was famous for her awful combinations when it came to cooking. "No, thank you, Dawn. Contrary to what you all may think, I still want to live."  
  
Dawn laughed. She felt so happy right then and there. She made a joke! Willow made a joke! She is going to be alright! "Well, more for me then! It's your loss. Just remember that you cannot get my "product" in any store, and this offer is for a limited time!"  
  
Willow gave the brunette another smile as a reward for her joking. The witch's eyes were soft and loving when she looked at Dawn. "Thank you, Dawn. I know your intentions are good."  
  
Dawn smiled softly. "I will come back later but call me if you need anything. OK?" Saying that, the brunette left Willow's room.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale, Buffy's House, Friday 7:45PM  
  
"Anybody home? Dawn? Will?" Buffy took off her coat and dumped it on the couch. She heard muffled sounds coming from the kitchen.  
  
"Ovvvrrrrhherrrrre Bbbbfffffyy. mmfffffggggssffgggggg"  
  
It sounds like someone is gagging. Dawn? "Dawn? DAWN!" Buffy rushed to the kitchen holding her breath. If someone did anything to Dawn, they would know what a really pissed off Slayer was like. Using her supernatural speed, Buffy covered the few meters that separated the living room from the kitchen in a blink of an eye, but she stopped cold when she saw through the kitchen door. Her sister was all right. Well, she was alive, but to Buffy, she looked like if she had fallen inside a garbage container. She was covered with scraps of 'something' Is that garbage, food, ingredients, paint or what?  
  
Dawn's eyes were sparkling from mischief, as she used both hands to stir the concoctions in front of her on the stove. Her mouth was totally stuffed with food. That's where the muffled sounds came from!   
  
"Dawn, are you making a potion, or. What are you doing?"  
  
Looking at her sister, Dawn held up a finger, silently asking her to wait for a moment. Then she grabbed a glass of water and greedily drank from it, forcing the food in her mouth to finally go down her throat. Once she put the glass down, she turned to her older sister. "Hi, Buffy! You're early. I wanted to cook for us tonight, and I thought soup would be a good, easy-to- prepare option."  
  
Buffy's stomach did a flip-flop when she heard Dawn's explanation. I should have stayed out patrolling until sunrise. Forcing a smile, she tried to sneak out of her sister's plans. "I am not too hungry, Dawn. I am not feeling too well, you know? I must be coming down with the flu," then faking a sneeze to keep up the charade, Buffy turned around, but stopped at her sister's words.  
  
"Well, perfect, then. The recipe I chose is great for sick people. I was thinking that Willow had lost enough weight, and this soup would help her get some nutrients back into her body. And since it is so light, then it should not affect you at all. You will probably feel better after a big plate of my 'bring the dead back' soup."  
  
If Buffy thought she was scared at the thought that she would be trying Dawn's soup, she almost fainted when she heard what Dawn had named the soup. I am dead. Yup, once more looking at tulips from the roots  
  
"Don't just stand there, Buffy. Help me set up the table. I think this delicious dish is ready!"  
  
Frowning, Buffy could only whisper, "You think??"  
  
Hearing her sister, the brunette smiled. "I am sure of it. I just tasted it, and believe me when I tell you that I should get this recipe patented. That's how good it is!"  
  
Doubting her sister's words and wishing she was facing a demon at the moment or an apocalypse or even those three morons that thought themselves as super villains. make that two! .hell, the devil himself! Buffy grabbed a few plates and feeling that she had just lost the most important battle of her life, walked to the dining room table. Where are all the demons when I need them? I should call Giles! Maybe there is a prophecy or something hideous going on that requires my Slayer abilities. Sighing, Buffy ended setting up the table. Yeah, like I could be so lucky.  
  
Buffy walked back to the kitchen. "The table is ready, Dawn. Have you checked on Will? Any change in her 'mood'?"  
  
"Willow! I forgot to tell you! She made a joke today! I was so happy! That is what got me into cooking dinner. I want to help her recover faster."  
  
With a sincere sigh of relief, the blonde Slayer commented, "That is so great to hear. I haven't seen Willow smile in such a long time. I better go check on her."  
  
Dawn stopped her sister even before Buffy started turning around. "Tell her that dinner is served. I would love if she came down, but I will take it upstairs if she wants to eat there. And please don't stay too long. The soup tastes better when it is hot!"  
  
Nodding her agreement, Buffy turned around and headed towards the stairs I'm afraid of that soup while hot, I can't even imagine what it would taste like when it is cold. Feeling a shiver going down her spine at the awful thought that had just intruded in her mind, Buffy took the first step up, heading to the second floor.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Hotel 7:45 PM  
  
Scully looked around the room they rented. Not bad, we've slept in worse than this before. Anyway, now that we are finally sleeping together, any rat hole would look good if I am with him. "So Mulder, have you decided whether we should stay here at the hotel or go try and find Buffy now?"  
  
"I don't know, I feel so excited... you know? Being on top of such a supernatural place, I don't think I'll be able to sleep. I am so eager to see what is so different here from any other place."  
  
Frowning, Scully sighed, "You are the only person I know that gets turned on by thinking about monsters, vamps, and other creepy creatures.."  
  
Mulder interrupted, "Excited, sweetheart. I said, excited." He then smiled wickedly. "You are the only one that turns me on."  
  
Returning his smile and batting her eyelashes, Scully moved closer to him. "I can think of a couple of ways to take advantage of all that excitement you have bubbling up inside you, dear."  
  
Mulder just laughed out loud when Scully's body finally made contact with his, and her petite figure pushed him down to the bed. I guess we will be staying here after all Mulder chuckled. "Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you take control? I still remember that time we were tracking that mutant. mmmffffhhhmmm..."  
  
The male ex-Fed couldn't continue talking because Scully had effectively closed his mouth when she pressed her lips on his. Taking a quick break from the kiss, Scully smiled again. "Shut up Mulder, would you?" With a stupid grin plastered on his face, Mulder nodded like an obedient kid to his mom when promised a reward.  
  
The second kiss was long and soft. Mulder felt like he had died and gone to heaven; his body reacting to the caress in so many ways; his memory recording every sensation. Unfortunately, all good things never last, and although both were quite content with their current activity, they both needed to breathe if they wanted to continue enjoying the rest of the repertoire to come. Wiggling his eyebrows, Mulder said to his lover. "Feel free to shut me up anytime you want, Scully."  
  
Scully, giggling, sat on top of Mulder's thighs while she started struggling to loosen his jeans. "I will keep that in mind, dear."  
  
~~~~~~ Summers' Residence, Dinner time, Friday 8:00 PM  
  
While the brunette greedily swallowed spoonful after spoonful, her sister and the redheaded witch were trying to gather enough strength to take the first spoonful to their respective mouths. It won't kill me Buffy repeated like a mantra looking at the greenish substance floating in a brown liquid in her plate. But. what if it does? Oh hell, been there, done that. I am a brave Slayer. I've been in hell! I've been killed before! I shouldn't fear anything! I have faced all sorts of demons. for Dawn! I must do this for my little sister. Breathe, count to three and do it! The faster I do it, the faster I can go back to my safer and more familiar occupation of slaying pointy-toothed vampires.  
  
Similar thoughts were going through the witch's head. If I had ended the world, I wouldn't be in this situation. Breathe, Willow, you can do this, breathe.  
  
The Slayer and the witch looked at each other and, after a grimace, they simultaneously nodded. Then, closing their eyes, they slowly took their first taste. They both opened their eyes wide in surprise. Buffy smiled at her sister. "This tastes really good, Dawn!"  
  
Willow also complimented, "Yeah, Dawny, it is great!" Both the blonde and the redhead continued enjoying their meal.  
  
Dawn flashed them a big smile. "I told you guys. I should patent this thing. I would be rich in no time!"  
  
Both Willow and the Slayer smiled back at the teenager.  
  
While the Slayer and her sister idly chatted about their day's activities, Willow's mind, always seeking for answers, was trying to analyze the elastic structure of the meat she was currently chewing. It is meat, that's for sure. It tastes very good, but what part of an animal has this texture? Going over what she has just thought, she wondered, What part of what kind of animal are we talking about here? Suddenly, having a bad feeling about her meal, she nervously looked at Dawn, who was still happily eating her second plate of soup. "Um.. Dawny, can I ask what kind of meat this is?"  
  
The Slayer, realizing what was going on in her friend's mind, immediately stopped the soup-filled spoon in mid-air, then she looked at her little sister expectantly.  
  
Licking her lips, the brunette concentrated and tried to remember what she had read. "It is made with a part of the cow's stomach. I made it from a Latino recipe I found in the paper today. The article where the recipe was mentioned it was the first stomach. Do cows have more than one stomach? I think they called this soup Mandonga, or something like that. Good, isn't it?"  
  
Buffy's stomach was doing all sorts of gymnastics, while Willow's face turned to an unhealthy shade of green. Willow knew what the first stomach was but, to her, all four stomachs contained bowels, at different states, but bowels nonetheless. The first stomach was called "rumen". The rumen's content (herbs and grass) was to be regurgitated by the ruminant, then to be chewed again, so it could be disintegrated enough and then move to the next stomach.  
  
While Dawn looked surprised, trying to figure out what was going on with her dining companions, both Slayer and witch quickly got up and ran towards the bathroom's toilet. Although Buffy used her enhanced speed, Willow was much closer to the bathroom's door. Closing the door as soon as she went inside, Willow emptied her poor stomach.  
  
"Buffy? What's going on?"  
  
Sending one last angry look at the closed door in front of her, Buffy faked a smile and turned around. Jumping from one leg to the other, looking pretty much like a kid who can't hold it any longer, she said, "I guess we both wanted to pee at the same time, he he."  
  
Not totally convinced, Dawn put another spoonful in her mouth, her eyes never leaving her sister's face. "Do you want more soup?"  
  
Buffy, who had finally overcome the icky feeling that was rising up to her throat, moaned in desperation when the heaves came back with a vengeance. This time, the Slayer ran up the stairs, to the second floor's bathroom.  
  
Dawn sighed. Guess she couldn't hold any longer. Mmmmhh. I like this stuff! I wonder what other recipes they have? I hope there is a Latin Food for Dummies book available. Giggling at the thought, the brunette returned her full attention back to her dinner.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Hotel  
  
"That was amazing, Mulder!"  
  
Mulder barely heard her. Looking at the ceiling with a silly smile on his lips, he was doing a very decent imitation of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie "Twins", right after the big guy finally had sex for the first time. Scully couldn't help but giggle at the sight of her lover. "Mulder! I am talking to you!"  
  
"I know, I was just going over the events of the last 50 minutes." He sighed. "Yes, Scully, it was amazing."  
  
"That's so unfair! That memory of yours can relive everything we just did anytime it pleases just by thinking about it." Pouting like a spoiled child, she whined, "I want to relive it too."  
  
Chuckling, Mulder kissed Scully on the tip of her nose. "I can give you a replay anytime you want, sweetheart."  
  
Stamping her lips on his mouth, she whispered, "I love you, Mulder."  
  
Mulder hugged her. "And I love you Scully. Ever since I met you."  
  
Sighing contentedly, Scully laid her head on Mulder's chest, and in a few minutes they were both fast asleep.  
  
~~~~~~ Summer's Residence Backyard, Friday 9:45PM  
  
"Are you crazy? Try not to make so much noise. If we are caught, the Slayer will kill us!"  
  
The leading vampire turned around faster than a snake and whispered, "Who is making noise now? No need to raise your voice. Let's finish placing this last bugs and get the hell out of here."  
  
Lowering his voice to a whisper, the frustrated vampire added, "Sorry, I am a little nervous. I don't know why I volunteered for this job."  
  
"Because you want to get on the Mistress's good side. You want out? Go tell that to the Mistress."  
  
The vampire felt a shiver going down his spine. The thought of his Mistress knowing about his recent comments was scaring the wits out of him. "I .I. damn, that woman is crazier than a goat! Let's finish up here and leave, OK?"  
  
The other vampire smiled and proceeded to move to the side closer to the kitchen. From there, they could see the Slayer and her sister washing dishes and talking. Probably just finished dinner, kitchen's the perfect place for the last bug.  
  
*** Summers' Residence, Kitchen  
  
Dawn had been complaining for the last five minutes. ".but they are still sore. Why do I have to train again tomorrow? Shouldn't I give my poor arms and legs some rest? Yesterday was no day in the park for them, I tell you."  
  
The blonde Slayer smiled sweetly, "No rest... sorry. You will train everyday, until you can beat the crap out of me!"  
  
Dawn looked at her sister with wide-open eyes. "I will never be able to do such thing. I may not be an ordinary girl, but I am no match for you. You are like Wonder Woman on steroids." Dawn then giggled at the thought of her sister dressing up like Linda Carter in the old TV show.  
  
Buffy sighed, "We've talked about this before. I saw you fighting those root-like demons in that grave. They were incredibly strong, and you managed not only to absorb or deflect their attacks, but to defeat them as well. You will be as powerful as I am, if not more. However, for that to happen, we must train you daily." Then with a wicked smile, she finished, "Besides, since Faith, I haven't had a worthy sparring partner."  
  
Rolling her eyes, Dawn finally gave in. "Oh. alright, I'll do my best."  
  
Buffy patted her sister's back with affection. "That's all I am asking for, little sis!" Then turning off the faucet, she dried her hands on a towel hanging from the fridge door's handle. "OK, we are done here. Time to hit the sack."  
  
"Can I stay up for a while watching TV? Please?"  
  
The Slayer hesitated. "I don't know... You are not a morning person, and we need to get up early..." watching her younger sister's pout Buffy gave in "Oh, all right. I guess an hour won't hurt. Just don't forget to brush your teeth before you go to bed."  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom."  
  
With a quick peck on the brunette's cheek, the Slayer walked to the stairs. "Good night, Dawn!"  
  
"G'night, Buffy!"  
  
~~~~~~ Friday 10:30PM  
  
Under an old mausoleum, in an even older cave, two vampires knelt down in front of their leader. "Everything is ready, Mistress."  
  
Dressed in a white, almost transparent gown, the brunette slowly turned towards her minions. "I have told you not to interrupt me when I am talking to Miss Edith. What did you say? Yes, Miss Edith, I believe that we should teach them a lesson for interrupting us." The vampire Mistress caressed the small face of her old inanimate companion, a ragged doll she called Miss Edith.  
  
Carlos, a Mexican runaway who happened to cross the border thinking he had escaped justice, felt a shiver going down his spine. He had only enjoyed his 'freedom' for a mere 24 hours before Druscilla found him in California. She was looking for minions to help her get Darla away from her sire, the infamous Angelus. Carlos was one of the few to survive. Angelus was too powerful and, on top of that, he had allies. Then, just when he felt relieved for having survived the encounter with the souled vampire, that stupid doll Miss Edith comes along and tells his Mistress to move to Sunnydale. So here he was, sitting in the most dangerous place of the world for a vampire, facing his Mistress who happened to be a total wacko and waiting for the Slayer to send him to never never land Well, I'd rather be facing the Slayer now and be away from this lunatic. The smile on her face was not fooling him. His partner nevertheless was smiling back like an idiot. What a fool! Doesn't he see that she's pissed?   
  
Druscilla's smile never wavered as she walked the three steps separating her from the two vampires. Then, looking very much like a girl playing a fun game, she started to point from one to the other, chanting, "Eeny meeny minny moe." and with a sudden move, grabbed the smiling vampire from his neck and lifted him with one hand off the ground. True, vampires do not need to breathe, but the pressure Druscilla was exerting on her minion's neck was causing him unbearable pain.  
  
Druscilla turned back to the doll sitting behind her. "Miss Edith, would you like a head to play with?" Then, placing her left hand on the vampire's shoulder while her right hand still held him by the throat, Druscilla ripped the head off from the body, and happily turned to her lifeless friend. "Here it is, Miss Edith!"  
  
The head did not last a second in her hand. Two poof sounds were heard simultaneously, one from the body and another from the head that was in her right hand. Druscilla's smile became a pout "I am sorry, Miss Edith. the little head did not want to play with you." Then smiling with mischief, she turned back to Carlos whose pale skin became even lighter. "Do you want to play with us?"  
  
Trying hard not to stutter, the Mexican vampire submissively looked down to the floor. "I am here to serve you, my lady."  
  
Druscilla seemed sincerely touched. "Oh. isn't he sweet, Miss Edith? I knew I was not going to regret making him my child! You carried out the errand, my son?"  
  
The vampire looked up. "Yes, my lady! We placed all the bugs and the cameras as you instructed."  
  
Druscilla clapped her hands with joy. "Very well, then! I want to know everything the Slayer does and with whom. I want around-the-clock surveillance and I want it now. Bring me Toy Boy!"  
  
The Mexican walked out of the room, feeling very relieved. That went well! I am still breathing ... Well, maybe not breathing, but alive! . Well maybe not alive, but . hell this is confusing! Let's get that nerd before I go crazy as well.  
  
Carlos walked through several dark passages into another room full of computers and electronic devices. There were so many lights coming from LEDs and diodes that made his head spin just from looking at them La Navidad llegó temprano este año [1] (Well, Christmas must have come early this year). "Toy Boy! HEY, TOY BOY! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"  
  
A tiny high-pitched voice resounded all around the room. "You do not need to scream, my friend. I am over here!"  
  
The vampire had to concentrate to determine where the sound was coming from. It was coming from under a desk where a big apparatus was laying. The Mexican had to squat to see his comrade soldering some cables and making adjustments in a box that looked ready for Christmas, with all the lights it had.  
  
Toy Boy never ceased to amaze him. The child-like voice was coming from a huge vampire lying on the floor trying to fit inside the limited space. His enormous hands were moving at incredible speed, soldering tiny chips to a motherboard.  
  
The big vampire liked his nickname. He got it when he was a teenager. He liked to play with toys and considered computers his favorite toys. He was a genius with an IQ over 200 and with a body that any body builder would die for. But he hated fighting, or so it seemed. The Mexican vampire had never seen him get into a fight he hadn't made sure he could win. Even if the enemy were a smaller opponent, Toy Boy would drug him, lie or cheat in any way possible to tip the odds on his favor.  
  
Carlos believed that the big guy would probably try to kill their Mistress just to become the Master, but he was still too young to compete with Druscilla's power. True, he had the huge body, but age and experience in the vampire world were much more important when it came to power. The older you were, the more powerful you became.  
  
Toy Boy knew it as well and that is why he behaved, but Carlos would never turn his back on him. Druscilla, on the other hand, played him like a violin, and it was obvious that the crazy lady terrified Toy Boy. Hell! Who wouldn't? My knees feel like jelly every time she looks at me. "The Mistress wants to see you, man, so move it!"  
  
Toy Boy tried to sit up so quickly that he hit his head hard on the inside of the table. "Shit, shit. SHIT. Don't ever do that man! That is no way to call my attention. Are you serious or you just wanted to scare me?"  
  
Chuckling, the Mexican vampire started heading for the door. "I am serious. All the bugs are in place. I believe she wants to continue with Plan B."  
  
The big vampire slowly rose from the ground. He was probably close to seven feet tall, but once you looked at his face, it was like looking at a big overdeveloped child. He had kind handsome features, but even though Carlos had seen him using his charm and good looks to his advantage, it was his keen intellect that was the weapon that he feared the most.  
  
Toy Boy was a bit over a hundred years old. He had run into Druscilla quite a few times before and walked unharmed every time. He was even a master once, but his new leading position was quickly taken over by an older vampire which he had to serve for over 50 years. He knew he still had to wait for his moment to come, and he was prepared to wait for as long as it took.  
  
Both vampires walked back to the Mistress' chambers. They both stopped and waited at the entrance. Druscilla was serving an imaginary cup of tea to her doll. "Now, be a good girl, drink your tea and go to sleep. I will join you in a minute. Right after I talk to my children.. there. good girl. I knew you would be obedient." Placing the doll on a small toy bed, Druscilla started singing a lullaby:  
  
"Sleep until the morning, You need to rest today, Soon our triumph is coming, And we'll send the world to hell! Mmmhhh.. Mmmmmm. Mmmm."  
  
Then, looking at her minions, she placed her finger on top of her lips and said, "Shhh, keep it down! Miss Edith is finally asleep."  
  
Swallowing hard, both vampires neared their Mistress. Toy Boy was the one to whisper first. "Carlos tells me we are ready for the next phase."  
  
Druscilla's face lit up immediately. "Yes, sweet child. Your toys are in place, and someone I know is bringing the magic key. It was right where Miss Edith told us. She is such a good friend. I do not know what I would do without her!"  
  
The Mexican vampire addressed his Mistress. "Excuse me for asking, my lady, but what powers does the magic key have to offer?"  
  
Druscilla started dancing a waltz around the room, both arms high, holding an invisible partner. "The key, the key. it will let us in." she kept repeating like a mantra.  
  
Toy Boy frowned. I hate it when she loses it and starts speaking nonsense. I feel like Batman dealing with one of the Riddler's riddles. "In?? In where, my lady?"  
  
Druscilla did not stop her dance. "Anywhere! We can be inside, the key, the key. it will let us in. we can't be kept out anymore. the key, the key."  
  
It only took Toy Boy a second to realize what his Mistress was talking about. Gosh, we wouldn't need to be invited in anymore? If that was true, we could enter any house. Druscilla is right. We will no longer be kept out!   
  
Carlos was not dumb, but he did not figure out what his Mistress had meant, so he was very surprised when he saw Toy Boy's mouth spreading into a big smile. "Hey, big guy, I don't understand what this new toy will do."  
  
Toy Boy looked down at his comrade and whispered, "It can let us enter anyone's home. We can invite ourselves to any party, or better yet, we can party at anyone's house now."  
  
Carlos eyes opened wide, and his pointed canines showed in a big grin. "Oh man, that would be so cool! But do you think there is such a device?" he whispered back. "I doubt it exists! That shield was put there since the beginning of time by the Powers-That-Be to stop us from entering anyone's home without their permission."  
  
Druscilla stopped dancing and, walking to Carlos, she looked into his eyes. Her enhanced hearing had picked up Carlos' whispers. She could feel his fear, and that turned her on. "My poor child doesn't believe Miss Edith???.tsk, tsk, tsk. you are lucky she is sleeping. Remember... for every door, there is a key!"  
  
Carlos cast down his eyes. "Yes, my lady, please forgive my impertinence."  
  
The brunette vampire smiled sweetly. "Sure, my child, but you should still apologize to Miss Edith when she wakes up. I can't promise she will not get angry if she finds out what you said." Faking a yawn, she walked to her bed. "Now, boys, I am a little tired. The sun is coming up soon, and I didn't sleep well yesterday. I think my dinner was already spoiled when you brought him to me. His blood tasted like cheap alcohol, and I hate cheap alcohol. Next time, make sure my dinner has clean blood. Preferably, a teenager, or a child maybe?" Looking very much like a lost girl, she added, "Is that too much to ask?"  
  
Both vampires bent down and slowly started walking backwards. "No, my lady, we should have thought of that. We will be more careful next time. I will let the group know about your request."  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Hotel Room. Saturday, about 5AM  
  
Scully turned around, reached over and felt nothing on Mulder's side of the bed. Slowly, she cracked her eyes open and looked for her companion. Empty? Where the hell are you, Mulder? "Mulder! Mulder!" Nobody responded to her call. She sighed and decided to get up. The least he could do is leave me a note or something. The door of their room suddenly opened, and Scully's training took over. She quickly rolled over grabbing her Smith & Wesson 1056 while she crouched down on the side of the bed using it as a shield.  
  
"Hi honey. I'm home!" Mulder walked in with a big tray full of fruit and a bowl of cereal. He did not look a bit surprised to see Scully's gun pointing at him. "I brought you breakfast, dear."  
  
Scully sighed and counted to ten. "I should kick you in the balls, Mulder! We're on the run or have you forgotten? You scared the shit out of me!"  
  
Mulder pouted. "Sorry, dear, I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed, but I had problems opening the door with this tray in my hands. Then, when I finally got it open, I had to push it with my body." then, looking at his partner-lover-companion, he wiggled his eyebrows, ". and since you put your body through such a demanding 'workout' last night, I really did not expect you to be awake this early."  
  
Scully couldn't help but blush. She had followed Mulder's advice and took total control of the situation, and he was right, it was some workout for her. What the hell! I would live in a gym if all workouts were like that. She giggled. "Um. well. yes, dear. I see your point. thank you for being so considerate." He walked to her side and placed the tray on the bedside table, squatted down to where Scully was and kissed her on her forehead "It still amazes me how you still blush at my witty remarks. I would think you would be used to them by now, sweetie."  
  
Scully had to smile at that. "Well, Mulder, my Catholic upbringing is hard to overcome, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy them!"  
  
Mulder gave her a soft pad on the rear. "That's my girl. Now, come here and eat something!"  
  
Scully yelped at Mulder's indecorous slap on her well-formed behind, but she smiled at the gesture. We aren't married yet, but we sure behave like a happily married couple.  
  
~~~~~~ Summers' Residence. Saturday, about 5AM  
  
Buffy was pulling hard, but the blankets would not budge. "Come on, Dawn! Get up! We need to go for our morning jog!"  
  
Under the blankets, someone mumbled. "What did you say, Dawn? I can't hear you!"  
  
The teenager suddenly showed her sleepy face. "I hate you!"  
  
Buffy smiled at the sight in front of her. "I love you, too, sis, but it is not time for tender moments. We need to go jogging. You promised me you would do your best."  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Don't you get it? THIS IS MY BEST! What were you expecting?"  
  
Buffy laughed while she watched her younger sister put her sweatpants and a tank top on. She was so energetic during the day, but mornings were definitely not considered as part of the day in her dictionary. She kept saying that everything should start after lunch.  
  
Five minutes later, both girls were jogging. They followed some hiker's trail inside the few acres of forest that surrounded the town at a pace too quick for a normal human being. Buffy had noticed a while back that her sister was anything but normal. She was strong and fast, almost as much as her. Dawn had a knack for absorbing everything she taught her. Giles was helping her with the weapons part while she focused on the hand-to-hand combat, and cardiopulmonary exercises. Giles, I am so happy to have him back. He was right to leave. I was drowning in self-pity, and I couldn't see how much there is to live for. But I am just grateful he decided to stay. The truth is, only Willow is good at research, and she hasn't been too helpful in the past months either. If it wasn't for Giles. Buffy's thoughts were interrupted by her sister's comment. "How much longer, Buffy?"  
  
The Slayer checked her watch. They have been running for over an hour. "Let's head back home. I think it is enough for now. I'll race you there!" If anyone heard the Slayer's challenge and knew where she lived, they would have considered the blonde girl completely insane. Lucky for the two girls, it was early, and the area too deserted for anyone to see what was about to happen.  
  
They were still about six miles away from their homes but Dawn didn't seem surprised at the challenge. She sprinted with a glee of a wild horse when cut loose in an open meadow. Buffy couldn't help but smile at her sister's increasing speed. She will soon beat the crap out of me if she keeps training like this. Not wasting another second, the Slayer took off like a rocket after her sister. "HEY! THAT'S CHEATING! YOU SHOULD WAIT FOR THE COUNTDOWN!" Dawn just giggled and increased her speed even more. Buffy was getting closer, but she was using all her abilities to keep up with Dawn. God, she is even faster than last week! They were already running at an amazing speed of 35 miles per hour. Even Carl Lewis, to some considered the fastest man alive, could only reach 27.27 miles per hour at his best, and that was in a short 100 meter distance. The legs of these two powerful girls were moving at a speed hard to follow for the naked human eye and kept that pace for over four miles. At that point, Dawn started to lose speed. She did not have the Slayer's stamina yet so, in the next mile, Buffy was able to finally catch up with her sister and slowly take the lead. When they finally reached their destination, Buffy had won only by about 100 meters which, at the Slayer's speed, equals to 6.7 seconds.  
  
Both girls were panting hard. This had become a weekly event, and they both loved it. Buffy was so proud of her sister. She kept improving at an incredible rate. Dawn and Buffy sat down on the front steps. "I... am proud .of you Dawn! Your speed is. incredible."  
  
Buffy's accelerated recovering powers had kicked in and she was speaking almost normally. Still sweating a lot, her breathing had gone from panting to rapid and to slightly agitated in about a minute. Dawn, on the other hand, was still panting heavily and trying to catch her breath. "I. know. but. I still. get. too. tired. and. my strength. is. still no. match for. yours."  
  
True, Dawn was stronger than normal, but she still only had half the strength the Slayer possessed. Buffy looked fondly at her sister. "Everything will come with time, Dawn. You were slower and not as strong five months ago. Be patient."  
  
Dawn got up and walked to the door. "I... get the big bathroom. this time. OK? You had it yesterday!"  
  
The Slayer smiled. "Be my guess. We'll have breakfast and then go to Giles for weapons training. I know you were scheduled to train with him after he closed the Magic Shop but by then, the sun will have gone down, and I will already be patrolling. Well, it is time for me to give you a popup quiz. Let's see how much you have learned in the past month, young girl!"  
  
Dawn smiled at her sister, and rushed inside the house.  
  
~~~~~~ Summers' residence. Saturday, about 9AM  
  
"Aha. Summers' residence. What did I tell you, Scully? I knew I could find it!" Mulder's cry of victory resounded like thunder inside the Ford.  
  
Scully frowned at Mulder's loud voice inside such small area and after poking at her left ear with her pinky finger, she said, "I know you did not get lost this time and you feel proud of such accomplishment, but for God's sake, Mulder, the hotel we are staying at is barely three blocks away, and the address the hotel receptionist gave us was clear and simple. I don't think you should feel so proud!"  
  
Mulder sounded like a child. "Sorry, Scully. I guess I'm just a little excited that we found 'her' house."  
  
Scully giggled, "I thought I had already taken care of that excitement of yours?"  
  
Mulder turned his face to his lover and smiled lovingly. "That you did, sweetheart and you did a splendid job!" Then, he paused a bit and popped a sunflower seed in his mouth and almost spit it out when he chuckled, "I will probably need another session of your special therapy tonight!" Saying that, Mulder got out of the car and quickly walked the few steps to the front door.  
  
Scully rolled her eyes and, sighing, followed her former FBI partner. When she reached Mulder's side, they could both hear steps responding the doorbell Mulder had pushed. The door opened and in front of them, the young redhead witch appeared. "May I help you?"  
  
Scully's mouth parted into a big smile. "Willow, right? I'm Scully and this is ."  
  
"Special Agent Fox Mulder!" Willow finished for her, shyly giggling, "Buffy will be so happy to see you, unless you are just passing through? Are you just passing through? Because if you are, you should wait for Buffy or better yet I can take you where she is. But if you already know the town. it is a small town, you know? You should not have much trouble finding where she is. She doesn't go to too many places, cemetery, Magic Box, home and back to the graves again. We keep telling her that she should try to take up a hobby, you know, like ice skating or something, but that reminds her of Angel and you know how that affects Buf." Willow stopped when she saw the surprised faces in front of her. "I am babbling, aren't I? Sorry guys.I have a tendency to do that when I am excited about something."  
  
Scully giggled at Mulder's surprised face. I bet he is thinking the same thing I am. How was she able to blurt out so many words without needing to breathe?  
  
Mulder finally spoke "Um... You said something about taking us where she might be?"  
  
"Yes! I can take you there! Let me just grab my purse!"  
  
~~~~~~ Druscilla's Cave. Outside Sunnydale 9AM  
  
"My lady! Moltor has arrived!"  
  
Druscilla turned around. Her eyes had lit up, and she seemed very pleased. Then she fondly looked at the doll in her hands. "Did you hear that, Miss Edith? Bad old Moltor has come to help us! Looking at her lackey, she exclaimed "Where is he now?"  
  
The vampire looked behind him but nobody was there anymore. "He was here a second ago, my lady."  
  
Behind Druscilla, a flame changed into a human form. "Hello, Druscilla. It has been a while since I last saw you."  
  
Moltor looked like a young boy in his human form. He looked about 18, maybe 20 years old, well built and with handsome features. His demonic form was however terrifying. Like the great Balthazor, he, too, was half human and half demon. His mother had been a powerful witch, and he had studied and practiced Wiccan magic most of his life. His witchcraft and demonic powers had made him one of the most powerful warlocks of the underworld. "As I told you, I brought something you need, but before I give it to you, I want you to know that I am not going to help you unless there is something in it for me as well. Believe me, Dru, this item I have is worth what I will ask of you, my dear!"  
  
Moltor neared the vampire kneeling down at the entrance of Druscilla's dorm room and roared, "LEAVE US!"  
  
The vampire looked at his Mistress for support. "I only obey my Mistress."  
  
Those were the last words that came out of his mouth because a ball of fire disintegrated him a second after the last word was spoken. Moltor seemed annoyed, almost bored. "I hate disobedient lackeys. You can't get good help this days."  
  
Turning back to Druscilla who seemed completely indifferent to what just had happened, he continued, "There is no Source right now ruling the Underworld, but you already knew that, didn't you, Druscilla? Had there been a Source, I would have never been able to get this Key out of the Source's suite. You know how much the Source despised you vampires. I, however, am the only chance you have of vindicating your name and position among us demons."  
  
The demon sighed. "As you already know, I am practical. My goal is simple; power, power and more power. I have played the bench for three thousand years. I have waited for my moment patiently, and I believe this is the best opportunity to finally take what I deserve! I will help you vampires, but then you will help me become the new Source of the Underworld."  
  
The demon walked towards Druscilla until her breasts were caressing his chest. "This Key will help you built an army quickly, and that army will come handy to help me kill those competing for the Source's position." Chuckling, he added, "I have never been a fan for democracy. I rather get rid of the competition! Then you can have your army back and use it for whatever you please." The demon looked at the vampire with a smirk dancing on his lips. "I heard the current Slayer has kicked your ass quite a few times already, dear."  
  
Druscilla growled in anger at the mention of her nemesis. "That bitch!"  
  
Moltor laughed, "Well, there you go! It seems that you do have some good uses for your new army then!" The smile became a hard line. "Just remember that the fact that we are going to be working together doesn't mean I trust you. The second I think you are going to betray me that will be the second you will die!" Looking at the sky, the demon's eyes shone with glee. "Once the coronation takes place, and I become the new Source, nothing will be able to stop me!" Then whispering, forgetting that Druscilla was able to hear him clearly, he added, "Not even those three good for nothing witches!"  
  
Druscilla smiled sweetly. So, he is not the only one with a thorn on his side. That is good to know. She did not trust him either, but she liked the guy. He was pure evil, and his power was almost tangible. When her breasts touched him, she felt so much power surrounding her that she was on the verge of an orgasm. Miss Edith was right. He has become much more dangerous!   
  
She had felt this before. That was around 100 years ago. He had used her like a hooker, which she did not mind, and then left her. She remembered how blinded she was by his presence and power. She wanted him, she needed him, so she had escaped Spike's grasp for a week just to get into Moltor's bed. Any other underworld demon would have probably denied her, but Moltor was different. He liked what he saw and took it. Well, they both used each other then, and now she needed him again but this time to give her the magic Key. Well, another roll on the hay with this lovely demon would not be a bad thing either. Hugging the demon from behind, the Mistress rubbed her cheek on his back, "You seem tense, my dear Moltor. Maybe I can massage your back and make you feel better?"  
  
Moltor turned and smiled back at beautiful brunette. The transparent white gown let him see her nicely contoured body. Yes, maybe that is what I need!   
  
She started dancing towards her bed, stopping every six feet or so to turn around, smile, and with her wiggling index finger, signal the demon to follow her. "Miss Edith is sleeping, but you can scream if you want. She sleeps better with sounds of pain and pleasure around her, just like me!"  
  
~~~~~~ Victorian Manor; Home of the Charmed Ones. San Francisco, CA. Saturday 9AM  
  
"WHAT! . Honey, we have to stop him! If vampires get their hands on that Key, they will be able to kill indiscriminately! No one will be safe from them anymore and the rate at which they will 'reproduce' will be outrageous!" Piper was really upset. Since she found out about the magic Key that held the power to allow vampires to enter any home without invitation, things have been going from bad to worse. First, one week ago, Leo came with the news that such weapon had disappeared from the former Source's quarters. Then, his 'sources', whomever they might be, I have to ask him sometime about those sources that can gather news about what is going on in the Underworld found out that only the Source could have broken the spell that protected the magic device. The Source was dead which only left one possibility. They were dealing with an 'unknown' upper level demon at least as powerful as the Source, if not more, and they knew squat about him or her. Now her husband come back to drop yet another bombshell. The Key was given to a vampire called Druscilla, who happens to be totally insane. God, things couldn't get any worse!  
  
"So, Leo, where is this wacko with pointy teeth?"  
  
Leo looked very worried. "Sunnydale."  
  
Piper's face paled. Shit! That's my luck. Things just got a lot worse! "The Hellmouth??"  
  
This was the last place Leo wanted to be. He felt pinned by her wife's eyes and those of her sisters. "Hey, don't kill the messenger. It is not my fault!"  
  
Phoebe threw her hands up as she rolled her eyes. "This is great! Couldn't they have at least let us know a bit ahead of time? You know, like. before the Key reached the Hellmouth? And who is responsible for the creation of such weapon anyway? If the Powers-That-Be created the invisible barrier that protects each home from uninvited vampires, I doubt anyone but them could create such Key."  
  
Leo paled even further giving Phoebe the confirmation to her guess, but it was Piper who expressed it out loud. "Oh, for the love of God! They did it, didn't they? They created the Key as well! Jesus! Sometimes, I think we are ruled by a bunch of kindergarten kids that need some serious spanking. Maybe that way they will start maturing."  
  
Leo winced looking up to the sky. Hope the Elders did not hear that! "Honey, you are not being totally fair. When this magical devices were created, it was vital to maintain a balance between good and evil. There was no way to forth see eons ahead. They have seen their mistakes. The Elders were human a long time ago and they too made mistakes and just like we do, they had to learn from them and improve. Believe me, they are eons wiser now."  
  
Phoebe made a face. "We know, Leo, it is just that. I hate when one of those mistakes comes out of nowhere to bite us in the ass."  
  
The youngest of the three Halliwells, who had kept quiet for the best part of last half hour, raised her hand. "Excuse me! Can anyone enlighten me ...please? Why is Sunnydale called the Hellmouth? I was there once, and it looked like the type of place where nothing ever happens."  
  
Phoebe snorted, "I wish that was true, Paige! Sunnydale is a place of mystical convergence where a direct entrance to Hell is very close to our dimension. That entrance is like a magnet for all sorts of creatures. demons, vampires, warlocks... you name it! Many of those creatures want to simply enjoy the feeling of power and fulfillment the Hellmouth brings to them, others want nothing more than to open the doorway to the underworld."  
  
"WHAT! I thought you could only shimmer, orb, blink or magically transport yourself to the underworld. I never knew there was a door!"  
  
Piper looked at her youngest sister. "The door is closed, but evil has tried to open it before. The last time recorded in the Book of Shadows was 50 years ago. Luckily, a group of 12 good witches vanquished the demon."  
  
Phoebe bolted right up, "That's it, guys! That is what this demon is trying to do! From what Leo has told us, the Underworld is mayhem right now, because all upper level demons are competing for the Source's throne, so it is logical to assume that our demon wants to be the new Source as well, and.what easier way to accomplish that, than to take over the Underworld by force? Well, I believe that he wants to open the Hellmouth, so he can let an army of vampires walk into the Underworld."  
  
Piper analyzed what her sister had just said. "That makes sense, Phoebe. I hope we are strong enough to stop this psycho. The Book of Shadows also says it was one hell of a battle, before good finally stopped the Hellmouth from opening. It seems there are creatures inside the Underworld that are not supposed to walk the earth."  
  
Piper took control of the situation. "Leo, go see what you can find about this demon we will be facing. Paige, try to see if there is anything in the Book of Shadows that could help us close the Hellmouth. Phoebe, work on some protecting and vanquishing spells against vampires. I will work on some potions."  
  
The three Charmed Ones split into different directions, each with their task in mind.  
  
~~~~~~ The Magic Box. Training Area. Saturday 9:00AM.  
  
The Slayer was applauding her sister's performance with the crossbow. "Three out of three! Even Robin Hood would envy your shooting skills, Dawn!"  
  
The young teenager laughed happily. The tips Giles had given her to use the eyesight of the crossbow had paid off. "You should have seen me a month ago. Giles was always hiding behind that dummy over there. God, was he afraid of me!" The brunette walked towards the weapons closet.  
  
The Slayer took off her shirt and shoes. Then she walked to the thin mat at the center of the room. She was only wearing a short tank top and a pair of sweatpants. "Come, little girl, time for some serious ass whooping!"  
  
Dawn frowned. This was her weakest area. She was still easily overpowered by her sister every time and she didn't see the day when she could rival her sister's strength or fighting skills. "Ass whooping, eh? More like whole body whooping, I would say!"  
  
Dawn was putting on her headgear and gloves when she heard her sister challenging. "Come on. I know you want to sweep the floor with my poor old worn off body." The slayer giggled when she saw Dawn rolling her eyes and making the sign of the cross like if she was already offering her soul to the higher beings. "Here we go again!"  
  
Both combatants circled each other for a couple of minutes trying to find a part where the guard of her opponent was the weakest. Buffy was admiring her sister's stance, firm, but flexible, ready to go into motion at any moment. Her guard was excellent, but there were still a couple of places where she saw good possibilities for breaking it.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Downtown, Magic Box about 9:30AM  
  
When Mulder and Scully entered the Magic Box, they were stunned at so many articles, bottles, and books related with witchcraft. Scully was unconsciously holding in her left hand the little gold cross hanging over her chest.  
  
Mulder was extending his hand to grab one of the old tomes displayed in a bookcase that looked probably as old as the book he was reaching for. "Welcome, dear customers, what can I sell you? By the way, that book is really expensive. if you damage it, you buy it. Hi, I am Anya, if you want to buy something, then I will be glad to sell it. If you are just looking or don't have money then you should use another place for your sightseeing." Mulder first looked at Scully and then at the rude blonde girl who was impatiently standing next to him probably waiting for a response from him.  
  
Scully was giggling. God, was wrong with me? I shouldn't be enjoying her rudeness! Maybe it has something to do with me and Mulder finally living together. I feel so happy all the time.  
  
Willow entered the Magic Shop at that very moment "Anya, they are with me." One of her classmates had stopped her outside the magic shop to ask her for the previous week's Biology class notes. He had not attended that class and Willow, who had promised to help him, had a terrible time telling him that she too needed to look for those notes. Since Tara's death, she had skipped more than a few lessons and those she had attended, she barely remembered anything from them.  
  
Anya looked very annoyed. "Willow! You should have told them to introduce themselves before I wasted my time trying to sell them anything. I just read an article that said that time is money, so my time is money, and I need to carefully spend that time. That means that you just made me waste money. Since you destroyed this place playing bad mean witch, I have invested a lot of money on repairs, so do not make me waste more!" The vengeance demon then turned around and walked to the counter mumbling, "Thank God, Giles is back and is paying for most of the damage. Well, he caused a lot of it anyway. He should have challenged Willow elsewhere, why do it inside our shop? There is plenty of space at the park! Willow should be paying too, and Buffy, and..." The rest was just idle whispers too soft for the any of those present to understand.  
  
Mulder was perplexed, and Scully was again giggling, but this time for a different reason. Everything is so surreal. How can anyone sell anything at all by treating potential customers with that attitude and behavior? It is like if this was a funny comedy instead of real life.  
  
Willow turned to the couple. "I am so sorry. You have to forgive her. She is still a little upset with me, after I destroyed part of the shop. I think we should go to the training area."  
  
Following Willow, both ex-agents walked through a heavy door to find a sight that very few had seen before. Even Willow had to pick her jaw from the floor when she saw the Slayer and her sister fighting. At that very moment, the brunette teenager was literally bouncing from one of the walls. Her propelled body flew over the Slayer and doing a flip while twisting her mid-section, fell on her feet behind the Slayer.  
  
Dawn did not waste anytime and as soon as her left foot hit the floor, her right foot headed towards Buffy's middle back. The Slayer, moved to the side, barely saving her kidneys from the devastating kick, but still getting hit on her right hip. The blow made the Slayer lose her balance, leaving her in a bad position for a second. Dawn crouched and spun on the ball of her left foot while her right leg made almost a complete circle sweeping Buffy's feet neatly. The Slayer rotated her body in mid-air, to fall belly down on her hands. Then, placing her entire weight on her right arm, she lifted her lower body enough for her to send a high kick to Dawn's head. A Brazilian martial artist in Capoeira would have been proud of the flawless execution of such complex move. Dawn, who was still recovering her vertical position after executing the sweep, was caught off guard. The kick hit her right on the temple, knocking the teenager down. The stunned brunette was barely able to remain conscious, as she watched the room spinning around her.  
  
Buffy immediately rushed to her sister to make sure she was OK "Talk to me Dawn! Are you OK?"  
  
Dawn shook her head once, twice and watched how the room slowly stopped imitating a merry-go-round. She took off her headgear and smiled at her worried sister. "That was one hell of a kick, Buffy! Can you teach me that move?"  
  
Buffy sighed relieved and helped the brunette get back on her feet. "Sure thing, Dawn. Now let's get cleaned up, alright?"  
  
Dawn was getting up when she saw the trio standing behind Buffy. "I think we have company, Buffy."  
  
Buffy turned around and yelped happily, hurrying to where the newcomers stood. "MULDER, SCULLY! What a surprise!" She was already hugging Scully who was feeling the strength of the Slayer surrounding her petite body.  
  
"Buffy! I can't breathe!"  
  
Buffy let her go, and quickly moved into Mulder's arms. "So good to see you guys!"  
  
Mulder winced a bit, but not because of Buffy's strength, but because the Slayer was quickly permeating his clean shirt with sweat. "I guess we will have to take another shower, Scully."  
  
Buffy looked embarrassed, but Scully smiled at her. "Pay no attention to him Buffy. He is just teasing you. Since we started showering together, he keeps finding excuses to get me into the shower!"  
  
Dawn's crystalline laugh was heard behind the group. "Um. Sorry guys, Mulder, Scully, this is my sister Dawn. Come here, Dawn!"  
  
Dawn moved to her sister's side, while greeting everyone. "Hey guys! Hi Willow! It is good to see you out!"  
  
Scully shook the brunette teenager's hand. "She is even more beautiful than what you've told us in your emails, Willow. Dawn, it seems like if we already know you. Willow, has told us a lot about you, although it has been a while since the last time we chatted."  
  
Mulder interrupted. "Willow, you never told us anything about her abilities."  
  
Willow looked a little embarrassed. "You see, guys, I know she has been training, but this is the first time I really see her in action. Buffy did mention that she was above normal in all aspects, but I never thought it was this much. Besides, I have been kind of. out of the game for a while."  
  
Mulder and Scully felt Willow's discomfort and decided to drop the issue. She will tell us when she is ready.  
  
After giving her redheaded friend a sad understanding look, the blond Slayer smiled proudly. "This is just the beginning! Soon Dawn will be kicking my ass without breaking a sweat. Today I had a hell of a time trying to keep up with her speed, and she held my attacks 30 min longer than our previous match!"  
  
Dawn was blushing. "I still have a long way to go before I can come close to beating you sis." Then, abruptly changing the topic, the teenager looked at the ex-feds. "So, how long are you planning to stay? Are you staying with us? Willow has told me some of your adventures, but I would like to hear more. Can they stay with us, Buffy? We have plenty of room at home!"  
  
The Slayer looked at the couple. "Dawn is right. You can stay with us."  
  
Scully was the one to respond, "We are staying at the Sunnydale Hotel. It is only three blocks away from your house. We wouldn't like to intrude Buffy."  
  
Buffy frowned. "Intrude? Nonsense. You are staying with us and that's final!"  
  
Scully felt Mulder's gentle touch on the small of her back. "There is no way we can win an argument against the Slayer, is there?"  
  
~~~~~~ Summers' Residence. Saturday, about 6PM  
  
Mulder and Scully were comfortably sitting in the big couch finishing a summary of the events that had happened in the past few months. ".and that I how we ended up here! Now it is your turn to explain why we have not received a mail from you guys in a while."  
  
Willow suddenly found her shoes a fascinating sight. "Buffy, you tell them."  
  
Buffy lost the smile for a second and trying to avoid getting into too much detail, she blurted, "We lost a friend, Willow became a bad powerful witch and almost destroyed the world, but Xander stopped her, and now she is back to her good old self!"  
  
Mulder and Scully briefly looked at each other and both obviously seeing that this was a touchy subject to get into, refrained from asking any further questions. "So, I heard that Giles is back!"  
  
Buffy's smile grew considerably. "YES! He is. I am sorry you didn't see him, but he had to go out of town to get some items for his magic shop. He said he was coming back tonight at." making a vague gesture with her hands, she added, ".sometime". Then she lowered her voice a bit in wonder. "Well, he is driving that piece of junk he calls a 'car', meaning that he could be at the side of any road right now, hitchhiking or waiting for a bus to pick him up." The Slayer set her eyes back on her guests. "Tomorrow might be a better guess for his ETA." Everyone had a good laugh over Giles' ancient Citroen.  
  
After a couple of hours, they were still having a good time when Mulder looked at his watch. His smile died on his lips as he stood up quickly. "God, it's so late, we lost track of the time. We should go to the hotel to get our stuff."  
  
Buffy looked at her sister. "The sun has already set. Dawn, can you go with them, just in case our pointy-toothed friends decide to show up?"  
  
This was the first time that Buffy had given Dawn an assignment where she was going to be responsible for protecting real people. True, it is only three blocks away, and we are going by car but anything could happen and she is trusting me to do this all by myself! "Sure, Buffy, I will be glad to."  
  
Mulder felt awkward, looking at the small brunette standing next to him. We have a tiny teenager as a bodyguard.  
  
~~~~~~ Druscilla's hide-out. Saturday, about 6PM  
  
Toy Boy was nervously walking towards Druscilla's chamber. Two ex-FBI agents in the Slayer's home. Funny how they are running away from those they used to work for! I must tell Druscilla. It's too bad we cannot report them to the authorities, I doubt Druscilla would want this place crawling with Feds for at least another couple of weeks. Surprise is always good to have in this type of situations.  
  
* * *  
  
Moltor was checking the Underworld training area. There were at least 20 demons working out, but only 5 of those were willing to follow him, each one of them an upper level demon. He looked at those he had come to consider allies and waited for one of them to acknowledge his presence. Once one of them saw him, he barely nodded his head. The demon that had seen Moltor was named Sistar. He was about 6 feet tall, and all muscle. He had been around over 500 years and used to be one of Balthazor's greatest competitors. Sistar was one of the best tacticians Moltor had ever seen and a born leader. Moltor immediately made him second in command. "Parisa, Tux, Sing, Bolo, it is time to go!"  
  
The only female of the group smiled in delight. Good, I was getting bored! She has always been the warrior type. She liked to kill with her bare hands. The use of fireballs was her last resort. Parisa preferred good old fashion bloody messy killings. In her human form, she looked like a model and even in her demonic state, she was a beautiful female. She just grew a few inches in size, but proportionally. Her skin would change to a greenish tone that had some demons calling her "She Hulk". Well, those that still called her that would do so behind her back, of course. She had already killed quite a few 'comrades' for trying to make fun of her.  
  
Tux was the smart one of the group. He owned a computer company, which had become one of the biggest competitors Microsoft had at the moment. His goal was clear and probably the same that Bill Gates had in mind; world domination by getting all humans totally dependent of his products. He kept inventing new devices and making them faster, smaller and more powerful. His human employees considered him a computer genius and he was. He was there when the first transistor was invented. He helped built the TTL Book (Transistor Transistor Logic) and authored many other books himself. He had centuries of experience over Gates and he would crush him in the end. He knew it. But my dream can never become a reality if I keep having those damn witches breathing down my neck. I must help Moltor get rid of them once and for all.  
  
The smaller demon was walking behind. His name was Sing, a Chinese demon born in 1250. Only the Source had known him well. Moltor knew that he was a skilled martial artist, but not much else was known about him except that he had been the bodyguard of three different Sources in the past. Nobody in his sane mind would go against him in a fair fight.  
  
Then there was Bolo. He was dumb, but he was probably the strongest of them all. He was what they called a Cave Demon. Old beyond belief, small brain, pure muscle, only a few of them left in the entire world, once they died, the Cave Demon race would be extinct. These kind of demons lived for the hunt! Their blood thirst had no match, as well as their demonic appearance. Their faces, middle chest, back, elbows, knuckles, and knees were full of sharp white bones. Their enormous muscular bodies were clearly designed for killing. Whoever wrote DC's episode 'The Death of Superman' and created the superhero's nemesis called 'Doomsday' must have seen Bolo once. He sure was a scary sight. I am glad I convinced the Source not to kill him 500 years ago. Bolo knows I saved his life from the Source's wrath that day! That is why he has been loyal to me ever since.  
  
Moltor sighed contentedly. With them by my side we will make an unstoppable team.  
  
~~~~~~ Summers' Residence, Saturday about 7PM  
  
"BUFFY, WE'RE BACK!"  
  
Buffy showed up at the top of the stairs with a grimace on her face. "You don't need to scream, Dawn. How did it go?"  
  
Dawn made an exaggerated sigh. "Boring! All our pointy-toothed friends must have flown out of town for the weekend!"  
  
Buffy looked at her guests. "Pay no attention to her. She is actually glad things were uneventful. She is just being a smart ass. Want some coffee or tea?"  
  
They had ordered pizza and Coke during their 'afternoon get together', so nobody was really hungry.  
  
Mulder shook his head. "I pass."  
  
Scully on the other hand accepted some tea. The Slayer went inside the kitchen followed by the petite redhead. "Let me help you. That is the least I can do for your hospitality."  
  
The ex-FBI agent was talking to Buffy while setting up the teapot. At that moment something caught her eye. A flash? A reflection of the kitchen's light on the window glass? That light is bouncing on a totally different angle that the window glass reflection. Scully and Mulder had made a habit of sweeping their office and homes every day looking for bugs so, without stopping her conversation, she neared the window. It looks like a coin. Closer and closer, trying not to raise any suspicions from whomever was spying on the Slayer, she saw it. There it is! It is not a camera, just a listening device. Still, who would want to listen to her conversations?  
  
Scully exited the kitchen, saying, "I will be right back, Buffy," and headed to where Mulder was sitting.  
  
She hugged her lover and kissed him on the mouth, then she moved to his cheek. Mulder was very surprised of Scully's attitude, especially since Dawn was still in front of him "Ahem. Scully, we are not alone."  
  
Scully did not respond; instead she started nibbling at Mulder's ear. Mulder had to repress a moan. Dawn jumped up. "Eh, eeeh, excuse me. I forgot to call a classmate."  
  
Turning around, the teenager ran up the stairs to her room. Taking advantage of her mouth's position, Scully whispered what she had just found in Mulder's ears. Mulder looked at her. "And I thought you had the hots for me!" His lover just giggled.  
  
Mulder stood up and grabbed the pen and paper that were next to the telephone. He then headed towards the kitchen where Buffy was finishing the tea. "Hey, Buffy, I changed my mind. I also want a cup of tea."  
  
Buffy turned around and saw Mulder pointing with the pen at a small sheet of paper he was holding on his left hand. She neared her face to the paper to read what it said --Your house is bugged. Someone is listening in on us--  
  
Buffy's eyes opened wide in surprise. "What the h.."  
  
Mulder placed a finger on his mouth asking Buffy to please stay quiet and quickly wrote -- We need to find if there are more bugs --  
  
In the meantime, Scully was explaining Dawn and Willow what was going on. The team decided that it was best if they talked in the backyard, away from possible surveillance from the front road and far enough from the little microphones.  
  
~~~~~~ Home of the Charmed Ones. San Francisco, CA. Saturday about 7:30PM  
  
Leo had finally showed, but he had found nothing else. They were back to square one. Right where they started. Piper kept pacing back and forth. "Gosh, I guess we should be grateful. It is being 50 years since the last attempt to open the Hellmouth. I am surprised they have not tried it again."  
  
Leo grimaced. They are going to kill me. "Uh. I believe that in the last 6 years we have had about four attempts to get the Hellmouth opened."  
  
The three sisters looked at their Whitelighter with disbelief on their faces. "WHAT?!"  
  
Once more, the poor angel wished a black hole would swallow him. "Hey, calm down, don't worry, all of those situations were contained by the Slayer!"  
  
Piper just sighed and, while looking like she was carrying the world on her shoulders, she walked to her husband, dragged him to the sofa and pushed him down on it. "Dear, I believe you have kept too much information from us. What the hell is a Slayer? How come the Slayer had to face these apocalyptic situations all by itself, and why are we as blind as a bat on this one?"  
  
Each question caused the already battered Whitelighter to shrink back a bit more. "You have been very busy dealing with catastrophic situations as well. There are some very powerful beings fighting along side of us, helping in their own unique ways. The Slayer is one of them. She is the only girl in the world with the strength to fight vampires."  
  
Looking at her husband, Piper exclaimed, "All right, take us there! We can't afford to waste any more time."  
  
Leo shook his head. "I am sorry but we need a plan. From what I have heard, Druscilla already has about 20 vampires protecting her, and we do not know anything about this demon except that she is very powerful! We ought to be careful on this one."  
  
Phoebe stepped between the couple and worked as a mediator in the discussion. "I think Leo is right, Piper. With a demon as powerful as the Source, we cannot make any mistakes. Only the power of all our ancestors joined with the Power of Three could vanquish him."  
  
Without even blinking, Piper added, "Guys, this fight is going to take place in Sunnydale, not here! That is the Slayer's fighting ground. We can't just burst in there, do a little hokus pokus without calling her attention." She paused to let her words sink in. "If we try to do this alone, I doubt she will trust us, especially if we do not inform her that the beasts she has to fight against everyday posses a new weapon that could tip the scales in their favor." Piper made eye contact with each one of them to stress her point before continuing, "I would be very pissed off if I was her."  
  
Her sisters did not say anything. They knew Piper was not done yet.  
  
Piper looked like a caged animal when she resumed her pacing a few seconds later. "That is why I believe it would be best if we join forces with her. Anyway, whatever plan we make, we need to take her into account, either to avoid an encounter with her or to have her actively participating in it. I personally want her fighting by my side. It is best if we warn her as soon as possible and start planning how to vanquish this evil together."  
  
The two sisters and the Whitelighter nodded their heads. Piper had clearly gotten her point across. The Charmed Ones joined hands with their Whitelighter. A second after, there were only dying lights in the air where the four beings have stood.  
  
End of Chapter 1  
  
~~~~~~ Chapter 2 Summers' Residence, backyard, Saturday about 7:30PM  
  
Buffy and the rest had already checked the house, searching for more bugs. They could only find five of them and not one had video capability. They were moving towards the end of the backyard when suddenly thousands of little lights were circling in front of them, slowly taking human shapes. Willow's mouth fell open. The Star Trek transporters really exist. Buffy's reflexes already had Mr. Pointy out of her jacket. She waited for the bright shapes to become solid.  
  
As soon as the group materialized, Leo let go of both sisters-in-law and quickly surveyed the grounds. "DUCK!"  
  
Leo's warning was too late. The flying stake was already too close to his chest and although Phoebe and Paige had thrown themselves to the ground, he would never have time to do the same before getting hit by the stake. He wasn't worried. Only a darklighter's arrow could kill him, but he knew it would hurt nonetheless. All of this was crossing Leo's mind, when he saw the stake frozen a foot away from its target.  
  
*** As soon as Piper heard the warning, she lifted both her hands in front of her body, saying, "Wooowww" as the stake that was flying straight to Leo's torso, was frozen. "Can we talk before we start fighting?" Whoever threw that stake is the person we are looking for.  
  
Buffy and all her companions were already in a guard position. Mulder and Scully had their guns out and were pointing them straight at the group in front of them. Seeing the stake frozen in mid air surprised them enough to prevent them from articulating an intelligent response for a few seconds. Willow was very intrigued by what she had just witnessed. She is got to be a witch. But is she good or an evil one?  
  
Dawn, who was the least patient of the group, took a step forward, ready to fight, but her sister stopped her. "Wait!"  
  
Piper tensed, then looked at her sisters, and back at the teenager. "We mean you no harm, Slayer." She has kept eye contact with Dawn the whole time.  
  
Buffy looked at the woman who had just spoken and took a step forward. "I am the Slayer, and you are in my property, uninvited. I would recommend using the front door next time. It's safer."  
  
The brunette and the blonde, who were standing in front of the two adults with the guns, were both in some sort of martial arts guarding position. Phoebe had taken quite a few martial arts courses in the past years. Looks like Kempo or Jujitsu. Their stance is identical, so they must have the same teacher. Those two behind the girls look like they know how to use a gun. We better be careful. .  
  
Leo spoke to the group in front of them. "All we want to do is talk."  
  
Buffy always had a problem trusting strangers. That had kept her alive for so long. "So. talk."  
  
Piper spoke to the blonde girl. "First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Piper, and these are my sisters Phoebe and Paige. He is my husband Leo. We have come to warn you and also to ask for you help."  
  
Buffy did not like the sound of that. "Warn me?"  
  
Piper sighed in relief. Things are looking up by the minute. The Slayer is willing to hear us out. Good! "There is a powerful upper level demon that has stolen a device called the 'magic key'." Buffy could not help but wince at the word key. Glory left me with a loathing for that word. "That device allows any vampire to enter homes uninvited." Piper stopped at that moment when she saw her audience's faces. Buffy's face had lost all its color. The brunette teenager's hands had started shaking; the younger redheaded girl on the back had decided that it was a good time to sit down on the grass. She, too, looked like a sheet of white paper. The only ones that looked somewhat unaffected were the two adults standing on the back of the group. "Are you OK?"  
  
Buffy looked back at the witch. "Yes.no.yes. please continue."  
  
Leo decided to interject. "My sources tell me that the demon is here in Sunnydale and that he made contact with a vampire called Druscilla."  
  
A bomb would not have caused so much commotion like those words did. The Slayer opened her eyes wide in surprise and fear. Following Willow's example, she too sat down on the grass. "Druscilla is back? Oh boy, what else could go wrong?"  
  
Dawn looked hard at her sister. "Shut up, Buffy! Every time you say those same words, things do get worse!"  
  
The Charmed Ones and Leo winced, because they knew things were about to get worse. Piper continued, "Ahem.. I hate to say this, but that is not all."  
  
Dawn couldn't help but bark, "I knew it! I knew it!"  
  
Buffy looked at her sister. "Please calm down, Dawn. Let's listen to the whole story."  
  
Phoebe spoke for the first time. "We believe that this demon wants to become the next Source, but for that he needs to kill the competition. We think that he wants Druscilla to build an army of vampires, so he can take them to the underworld to kill his competitors. We know that vampires cannot blink, shimmer or teleport to the underworld, so the only way this demon can actually fulfill his plan is by opening the Hellmouth to let the vampires through."  
  
This time all those that remained standing in Buffy's group slowly sat down. "Oh hell! Another apocalypse coming up!" Buffy had finally come to terms a long time ago that evil was not going to let her be. Looking at Dawn, she smiled sadly, "This is going to be the big test for you, little sis. We will need all the help we can get."  
  
The Whitelighter suddenly looked up to the sky. His wife knew that expression very well "Go, Leo, go. It could be something important!" Leo nodded.  
  
Buffy was already looking at them with suspicion in her eyes. Leo saw that and decided to explain. If I orb out now without an explanation, it could harm whatever trust we are starting to build up. "Please do not be scared, I am what is called a Whitelighter. I work for the Powers That Be, helping good witches get the information they need to vanquish demons. I am being summoned right now, so I must go, but I will be back soon." Leo then shimmered out from in front of all those present.  
  
Willow smiled at the sight A Whitelighter! I knew they were real! "Well Buff, it seems that we got that help you were asking for. If he is a Whitelighter, then at least one of you is a witch. Wait a minute! You said they were your sisters! You guys are the Charmed Ones, right?" Piper smiled back and nodded. Willow felt her confidence returning. "Oh man! This is great! We are going to be joining forces with the Charmed Ones. Buffy, isn't that great!"  
  
Buffy looked even more puzzled. "Sorry, Willow, I find them charming, but I think I missed Witchcraft 101 in school."  
  
Willow and the Charmed Ones all giggled.  
  
Mulder decided it was time to introduce himself and the rest of the crew, since, with all the bad news, nobody had taken care of that. "Buffy, I have read about the Charmed Ones. They are three sisters, all witches and their power together can vanquish the toughest demon there is, even the Source, which by the way, happens to get his name for being the 'source' of all evil." Then looking at the three sisters, Mulder continued, "My name is Mulder. This is Scully, and the red headed girl sitting next to me is Willow, the Slayer's name is Buffy, and this cute brunette is her sister Dawn."  
  
Buffy had blushed, embarrassed. "I am sorry, I forgot to introduce you guys."  
  
Paige smiled at the group. "Never mind, it was for a good reason."  
  
Phoebe surveyed the grounds, surprised. "I was expecting to see a grill with meat, hamburgers or hotdogs getting ready."  
  
Buffy was puzzled. "What?"  
  
Phoebe smiled at the blonde Slayer. "I understand why we shimmered into your backyard. We did not want to run the risk of someone seeing us appear in front of your house, but why are you all outside the house in a cold night if you are not having a barbeque?"  
  
Buffy giggled, "Someone had the bright idea to bug my house. So far we have found five listening devices, no cameras, thank God. We don't think there are any more, but you never know."  
  
Paige muttered, "That means that probably the demon or Druscilla want to keep tabs on you, so they can move more freely knowing what your plans are."  
  
Buffy continued, "We came here to decide if we should remove them or not. Now that we know who our enemies are, I believe we should leave them there. I don't want them knowing we have discovered their plan." The Slayer smiled with mischief. "Besides, we can purposely mislead them if we need to."  
  
Willow smiled at the sight of the Slayer's savage grin and bright eyes. Beware evil doers. She is in a 'killing time' mode! "Well, all we need is a plan then."  
  
Buffy looked at the redheaded witch. "Willow, we need to call Xander to let him know what is going on, but we can't use the house phone."  
  
Willow just smiled. "I will tell him to meet me at the Magic Box tomorrow, and that I need his muscled body to help me carry some shopping bags. Don't worry, he will be there."  
  
Buffy stood up. "Well people, it is time to go to bed." Looking at the Charmed Ones, she added, "You are free to stay here although there is not much room left."  
  
Piper thanked the Slayer. "Don't worry, Paige can orb us out of here and into our house in a second. Where should we meet and what time?"  
  
Buffy took second or two to decide. "8AM, at the Magic Box's training area."  
  
The Slayer giggled when she heard her sister's groan.  
  
~~~~~~ The Magic Shop. Sunday 8:30 AM  
  
Buffy came in, dragging Dawn. "Sorry, we are late. I always have to wrestle with the Sleeping Beauty here to get her out of bed. I should have started trying half hour earlier."  
  
Dawn frowned. "Hey! You should have scheduled the meeting a bit later when we can all think clearer."  
  
Mulder and Scully were sitting at the research table with Willow and Xander. The red headed witch had her head resting on Xander's shoulder.  
  
Anya kept throwing angry looks at the couple while she needlessly cleaned the shining counter over and over again.  
  
Dawn's eyes sparkled in triumph. "I told you it was too early. The Charmed Ones have not arrived yet!" As if those words were the call they needed, the three powerful witches orbed into the Magic Box.  
  
Giles' feelings were running wild. He felt surprised, honored and scared all at once. Surprised to see the three witches so easily orbing from far away even though he was not very familiar with the magic involved, just knowing that it required a great deal of power and concentration. Honored to have the legendary group helping the Scooby Gang on this one. They are so famous among warlocks and witches, that it is hard to believe I am meeting them personally. Afraid because if the Charmed Ones considered the need to join forces with the Slayer, it just meant that the evil they were fighting was a force to be reckoned with. God help us all.  
  
After all the introductions, Giles had been quite shaken by the current news. God, I can't leave for lousy 48 hrs and everything goes ballistic in this town.  
  
Most of them had not had breakfast yet so Xander went to get some bagels and fruit. After breakfast, the group started discussing their current situation. Giles was in charge of organizing an offensive plan, while Piper worked on a contingency plan, just in case the original task turned out to be a disaster. So far they have agreed that they needed more fire power. "Xander and I are only human and although we have much battlefield experience, we can only protect Buffy so far. We need one of you to be with Buffy."  
  
Piper, Phoebe and Paige all shook their heads. The older sister spoke. "This demon is way too powerful. We can't just split the Power of Three. That would give him the opportunity to kill us. Without the Power of Three, we will be as good as dead."  
  
Xander whined, "Willow would have been the perfect backup for Buffy."  
  
The redheaded witch looked down. "I wish I could help, but you know what happen when I use magic."  
  
The Charmed Ones had heard the comments, but they did not pay any attention until the word 'magic' was mentioned. The three witches' heads turned towards the couple. "Excuse me?" Piper asked, surprised. "Are you a witch? Any help we can get will be very helpful, especially the supernatural kind. So, forgive me for asking, but why did nobody care to tell us that Willow was a witch?"  
  
Everyone tried to speak at once but were effectively silenced by the redheaded witch in question. "I think I am the best person to handle this question." Sighing, Willow started to tell of the events of the past year. How she had gotten slowly addicted to magic and how everything had almost ended in an apocalyptic disaster.  
  
Xander held the witch tightly while she relived the worse moments of her life over again. All those present were contrite while listening the broken voice of their friend. ".. it doesn't matter how much I want to help with my powers. I can't afford to lose control again." Willow couldn't hold it in anymore and started crying.  
  
Xander sent an angry look to the powerful witches as he carefully gathered Willow into his arms, providing words of comfort and love.  
  
The three Charmed Ones looked at each other while Willow cried in Xander's arms. Piper turned back to those present. "I think we might be able to help Willow with her problem."  
  
Everyone opened their mouths to speak, but it was Willow again who spoke first. "Really?" Willow's eyes shone like they hadn't in a long time. "How?"  
  
Phoebe walked to where Willow was sitting and sat right beside her. "Look at us, my dear. We use magic all the time and though we are tempted to use it for our own personal gain, we are still able to control that urge."  
  
Paige stood behind Phoebe. "We feel the temptation everyday, and it can be controlled."  
  
Piper walked to the group as well. "However, your addiction has very little to do with your mind and body." Piper tried to make eye contact with each one of them. "My sisters and I already talked about how we felt during our stay here. The Hellmouth doesn't only affect demons, but us as well. Anything that is considered paranormal is tempted to jump to the evil side."  
  
Phoebe squatted down in front of Willow. "You see Willow, you have been thinking that the problem was in you, so you have been fighting against yourself all alone. The problem is not you. You are not a magic addict. The problem is the Hellmouth. You have never experienced your powers elsewhere but in Sunnydale, so you didn't have a way to compare the difference. We, on the other hand, immediately noticed the effect the Hellmouth was having on our powers. Knowing the source, we can fight the evil, so we worked on a couple of protection spells while we were back at home."  
  
Willow had understood everything and her smile grew. She looked like a kid opening a Christmas present. "I never thought! I feel so dumb! I should have realized what was really happening to me!"  
  
Phoebe placed her right hand on Willow's shoulder. "You had no way of knowing Willow."  
  
At that moment, a small swirl of lights indicated the Whitelighter's arrival. Piper turned around to meet her husband. "What took you so."  
  
It was obvious that whatever Leo had found affected him deeply. His face showed all the fear he was feeling and concern for the well being of those he was currently facing.  
  
Piper sighed, resigned. "Ok, sweetie, just tell me how bad this is gonna get."  
  
Everyone had stopped talking. Giles had stood up and slowly neared the newcomer. Willow, feeling more ready that she had in ages, got up and joined the group that by now surrounded the Whitelighter.  
  
Leo tried to look as calm as possible, but he failed miserably. "We have to get more help, or we are not going to make it this time." He felt a shiver run down his spine. "The Elders found the name of the demon we are facing. His name is Moltor and he is over 3000 years old, but he is not just any old powerful demon; he is the most powerful warlock we have ever come across."  
  
Buffy sighed, "Well, now we finally hit bottom. Things cannot get any wor. What?" Everyone was looking at the Slayer, even Giles. Dawn had her hands on her hips, and was impatiently tapping with one foot on the floor. "You better not complete that sentence, Buffy Summers!"  
  
Leo sadly smiled at the scene. "Too late, she already said it. Which means things are going to get worse. Moltor has recruited four upper level demons. And before anyone says that this could not get any worse, let me just finish, OK? We do not know much about two of them, but the other two have the Elders very worried. They told me that one of them has been a bodyguard of three different Sources, and another one is a cave demon."  
  
Piper and Phoebe felt their legs could not hold them any longer.  
  
Leo rushed to help his wife stand. Her face was paled and her eyes were wide open. The evil water witch that had killed her mother had terrified her. She knew that witch had become her personal demon, but in a scale from one to ten where the water witch was a ten, a cave demon would be at least a nine. She was scared, and she couldn't do anything about it. God, I have to pull myself together. For my sisters!  
  
Paige, on the other hand, had positioned herself behind Phoebe, just in case.  
  
Piper's voice trembled as she addressed her husband. "Leo, please tell me there is a chance the Elders are mistaken. I thought cave demons were extinct!"  
  
Leo swallowed hard. "I thought so too, dear. Believe me, I was as shocked as you are!"  
  
Mulder and Scully and the Sunnydale residents were surprised to see the reaction Leo's news had on the powerful witches.  
  
Xander could not understand why they were so afraid, or why would they be needing more help. Well, I understand that these demons we are going to face are really powerful and evil, but we have the Scooby Gang joining forces with the Charmed Ones. and if it is true that they can help Willow use her magic without becoming evil, then we will be unstoppable.  
  
Something alone those lines was crossing the minds of the former FBI agents, the Slayer and Willow, until they saw Giles' face.  
  
It seemed that although everyone had heard what Leo had said, only Giles had actually understood why they were so afraid. He had let his body fall on the closest available chair. His face had lost all its color and his hands were shaking badly. After looking frantically around, he got up and walked to the counter, and pulling an old bottle of brandy that he had saved for special occasions, he drank a good two fingers' worth down. Feeling clearly better, Giles placed the bottle back from wherever he had picked it from and returned to the table.  
  
Buffy was really concerned now. She had never seen Giles in this state. "Giles, are you OK?"  
  
Giles looked like he was about to cry but instead he chuckled, "Yes, don't worry!" and finding that to be the understatement of the century, he laughed again, a sad bitter laugh.  
  
Buffy came to the table and sat in front of her mentor. "Giles, I need you sane on this one. Please try to focus and tell me what is going on?"  
  
Giles looked at his protégé and said, "I am OK, Buffy. I am sorry I worried you for a second there. It was my way of coping with the shocking news."  
  
Buffy was not going to get a better chance to ask, "What is so special about these demons which has everyone so worried?"  
  
Giles gathered his thoughts. He didn't say anything for the next minute or so. For a moment, Buffy thought that he had not heard her, but her former watcher finally spoke. "The cave demons have always been considered a myth by the Council of Watchers. It is said that only the Source and a handful of demons could destroy one of this beasts. Tales say that they are not smart but their blood thirst has no match and to kill one of them, thousands more die trying first." Giles paused. "I believe they refer to thousands of mortal human beings." The former watcher sighed. "There is very little written about them and even less about how they look. I have only seen one handmade drawing which is too old, and it might not be exact. It looks like a 'humanoid' rock with spikes in all the areas a fighter uses to strike. You know, elbows, knees, knuckles and head. It is considered among demons, the perfect fighting machine." Giles bent his head, feeling 20 years older. "That's all I know."  
  
Piper had listened to Giles' narration and couldn't agree more. There is so little we know about them indeed. "I think we can add a few more things about the cave demons. We came to know about them through a family book."  
  
Piper continued, "What we know is that the last of the cave demons attacked about 10 witches 100 years ago. Two of them were the most powerful witches we had in our family at that time. Nine died, most of them killed instantly during the battle against the demon. The last three were finally able to complete the spell to vanquish him, but two of them were already dying from so many injuries they had received. Our great-great-grandmother, the last witch, was badly hurt as well, but she still survived to write the story in the book. She says that their look is deceptive. They are big and muscular so they look slow, but that is not true. Those demons are fast, and every attack they make is lethal, because it can't be blocked. An attempt to block their attacks would break your arms or legs in the process. The areas where they are most vulnerable are their temples and lower ribs areas, both back and front. The rest of his body is rock muscled or bone covered. That is all I can remember. Phoebe, can you think of anything else?"  
  
The middle sister just shook her head. "Leo is right. We are going to need more help on this one."  
  
Xander sounded annoyed. "I do not know about you, but we have already stopped four apocalypses in our time, and we have never looked so beaten before even starting to fight. We have a lot of power here, and we can kill this guys as well." Looking at the wide opened eyes of the Slayer, he continued, "Buffy, we have gone through hell and back. We can't give up without a fight!"  
  
The Slayer smiled at her friend. "You are right, Xan, I am getting tired of myths becoming real, aren't you? We should start thinking how we can fight these demons with what we have and make sure their plans fail."  
  
Everyone was surprised to see how the young Xander's comments had centered and focused the Slayer and friends. All of them were in killing mode now, instead of dying mode like a minute ago.  
  
Willow was proud of Xander. He's right, we can beat this one too. "Piper, do you think you can cast a protection spell on me, so my magic will not be affected by the Hellmouth?"  
  
The three sisters smiled at the young redheaded witch. After they looked at each other, they recited:  
  
"Power of three Now moving through sound Protected you'll be From evil around."  
  
Willow immediately felt the change. There was always a struggle for domination inside her. Like if she too had a demon fighting to take control. Now there was only peace and she could feel her good magic mixing with herself. It felt so right! She felt fulfilled and happy. She felt complete. Wow. This is amazing!  
  
Those that witnessed the change in Willow's face were so stunned they could not speak. She looked so happy, naïve, at peace. She looked like the Willow that would show them how to float a pencil in the air with the little magic she had learned and flash them a heartfelt smile after her big accomplishment. It was like seeing their old high school friend come back.  
  
Even Mulder and Scully could see the difference after Willow turned to look at them. She looks so full of happiness and peace. Why?  
  
The new Willow had such a big grin on her face that everyone had to return the smile when she looked at them. Then turning to the Charmed Ones, Willow felt a lump in her throat and tears of happiness appeared in her eyes. "I . I .. I do not know what to say.or how to thank you." Suddenly the redheaded witch looked afraid. "Piper, is this permanent?" Please God, let it be permanent. I would probably feel like Buffy did after I pulled her out of heaven if it's not.  
  
Phoebe smiled. "As permanent as it can be. Unless someone more powerful than the Power of Three reverses the spell, you should not worry about the Hellmouth anymore."  
  
Willow ran to Dawn, Buffy, Xander and Giles. "Guys, I can use magic now! I am no longer affected by the evil here!" The witch's happy squeals were hurting everyone's ears, but they did not care. They hadn't seen Willow this happy in ages. Willow kept hugging each one of her friends over and over again, while they laughed along with her.  
  
Mulder looked at Willow fondly. "Well, it looks like we have another weapon in our arsenal. Now the question is, how powerful are you, sweetie?"  
  
Willow frowned. "I do not know, but I am going to find out now." The redheaded witch closed her eyes while whispering some words. Willow disappeared in thin air and returned ten seconds after with a small amount of sand in her hand. "This is sand from Hawaii. Although the sky and the water were crystal clear, it was too hot for my liking."  
  
Each one of those present looked stunned. Buffy and Giles looked scared. They still weren't sure if the Charmed Ones' spell had worked. They had learned, the hard way, that you should not play with magic. There were too many bad memories because of 'harmless' magic spells.  
  
Willow, however, was certain that the spell had worked. She felt the difference inside her, not only in her magical powers. Her magic was part of who she was now. Using it was as normal as using her hand to write or her mouth to speak. "Now, for my next trick."  
  
Giles intervened. "Willow. ahem. we are very happy for you, but are you sure you should play with magic like this?"  
  
Willow smiled at Giles, finally understanding his concern. "Don't worry, please. Since I started using powerful magic, I felt like if there was a demon inside me, trying to control me through that magic. I don't feel that evil force anymore. I am safe from its influence and you should feel safe from me. I feel the difference!"  
  
Giles relaxed visibly, but he did not look totally convinced. Buffy, on the other hand, came to her witch friend and gave her a big hug. "We are happy for you, Will. What is the next trick you wanted to show us?"  
  
Still hugging the Slayer, Willow's shape seemed to shrink and match Buffy's height. The blonde girl felt how her arms were lowered down, as Willow's height decreased. She looked to her left and saw blonde hair where the red hair should've been. The blonde Slayer jumped backwards and froze when she saw Willow. God, it is like looking in a mirror. True enough, the redheaded witch had shape shifted into an identical copy of the surprised Slayer. "I do not find it funny, Will."  
  
The witch pouted. "Really?"  
  
The Slayer could not hide the smile any longer. "The real thing always looks better, you know?. Look at your ass and look at mine for example. Yours is like." Buffy made a disgusted face. ".eeeww!"  
  
Willow looked at her/Buffy's rear end. "What are you talking about? What's wrong with my fanny?"  
  
Buffy just laughed out loud. "Gotcha! .And it is MY fanny, Will."  
  
Dawn and Scully giggled from where they were sitting. The rest of the group smiled broadly.  
  
Judging from how easy it was for Willow to execute such complicated spells, the Charmed Ones were able to gauge the extend of her powers. "I think neither one of us could take you individually. You are a very powerful witch." Piper was sincerely impressed by Willow's demonstration. Phoebe and Paige both nodded their heads.  
  
Once again Mulder spoke up. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have gained a most formidable ally in the battle to come. Now it is time to plan."  
  
Minutes later, everyone discovered that Mulder and Scully were brilliant tacticians, and they were soon enough leading the planning strategy, together with Giles and Piper. The rest started gathering weapons and doing research or working on some protection spells.  
  
~~~~~~ Druscilla's lair. Sunday Night, around 7:30 PM  
  
Moltor and his gang appeared inside Druscilla's chamber. The vampire was talking to Toy Boy at the moment, when the newcomers showed up. Druscilla looked at each one of them thoroughly and then she sensually licked her lips. Miss Edith had warned her of their arrival, but it was different to see them in person. Like a little girl enjoying opening a Christmas gift, the vampire Mistress clapped her hands in joy. "Oh goodie, company! The more, the merrier!" Looking at Moltor with intelligent eyes, while sensually rubbing her beautiful body against his, the beautiful brunette whispered, "I love presents before bed time."  
  
Moltor grinned wickedly. "This is my group. With them, and your help of course, we will crush whoever is stupid enough to try to oppose us. Allow me to introduce them." Turning to his demonic team, he started from left to right "This is Sistar, my second in command," then moving to the next in line, "the gentleman in the black suit is Tux, our personal genius. I think Toy Boy can benefit from his knowledge in computer science and electronics."  
  
The demon smiled when he saw Toy Boy's frown. "The lady in the middle is Parisa, a fearless warrior and these are Sing, and my good friend Bolo."  
  
All demons were in their human form except Bolo. To him, it was stupid and unhealthy to appear like someone else, especially as a puny weak human. Besides, it took him too much effort and concentration to keep any other form for long.  
  
That was one of the reasons why his race had depleted so much. Witches spotted them more easily than those demons that could blend inside the human cities. He was one of the few that could stay in human form for almost three minutes but memories of long gone years told him that all his family members and friends were never able to control the illusion for more than five seconds. He was special, and he felt superior for that.  
  
It was the law of the jungle, the law of the fittest that ruled Bolo's thinking. The weak had to die, while the strong survived. Those that had the power to destroy him, or were protected by someone more powerful than him, would always have his respect, but those who could not match his power would be crushed mercilessly.  
  
Druscilla could feel the blood lust emanating from the cave demon. She came closer to him purring like a cat and caressed the side of his face with her right index finger. Bolo growled menacingly. "Easy, handsome. I knew you were coming here. Miss Edith told me. It will be such a pleasure to fight by your side, my dear."  
  
Although Bolo could talk, he preferred not to. His bony structure made it hard for him to speak. That is why he only used monosyllables or short phrases to communicate. That and his weak brain were his only weaknesses, and like any good warrior, he tried to never let his weaknesses show.  
  
Moltor interrupted the vampire's display of affection towards Bolo. "Druscilla, how many more humans were you able to turn last night?"  
  
The brunette slowly separated her body from Bolo's impressive frame. "Eight more, my dear."  
  
Parisa was not pleased. "With the Key, you should get at least 20 each night!"  
  
Moltor shut her up with a look. "Only the vampire holding the Key can enter the house and it takes about 10 minutes for it to break the magical shield." Then he looked at Druscilla. "However, my calculations gave me a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 15. What happened?"  
  
Druscilla looked at Toy Boy who decided it was his cue to speak. "I recommended my lady to be cautious! I don't think it would be wise to alert Slayer that something is going on. Too many dead people in the vicinity will alert her."  
  
Toy Boy looked at his Mistress, who was swaying at the sound of an inexistent waltz and continued after getting a nod of approval from her. "We tried to select homes that were far from each other, so it would be less suspicious. It took longer to do it that way though, hence the reduced number of 'recruits'.  
  
Moltor smiled. "A thinker! Well, I approve for now, but we do not have much time. I need at least 80 vampires by Friday night, so you better pick up the pace." The demon raised his eyes to the sky. "Saturday is the alignment of the planets. That's when the Underworld's entrance would be closest to this dimension."  
  
Carlos smiled. "I think we can manage to gather more than 80 by that time, sir. We have been recruiting outside from other vampire gangs as well. Our army is almost 50 now, and growing every day."  
  
The old demon showed his teeth. "Excellent!" Then he turned to Druscilla. "I am pleased with your work, my dear."  
  
The vampire Mistress made a couple of elegant turns, stopped and nodded her head. With sweet loving eyes, she looked at her new partner. "Do I get a prize?"  
  
Women amused Moltor, but Druscilla was a special lady indeed. "I will see what I can do about that, beautiful." He then looked at all those present and became dead serious. "Taking over the Underworld will not be easy. Opening the Hellmouth's doors will require a lot of my energy, although its proximity will make it less draining for me."  
  
The Source candidate looked at his demon helpers. "Tux, I need you to work with Toy Boy. You two will be our eyes and ears." Tux walked to where Toy Boy was standing and with a nod of his head he greeted his new partner.  
  
"Sistar and Parisa, I need you to go to San Francisco and kill at least one of the Charmed Ones. Without the Power of Three, they will not be able to defeat me." Both demons disappeared without saying a word.  
  
Moltor looked at the Chinese demon. "Sing, follow the Slayer during her night patrols. Do not confront her yet. I just want to keep tabs on her, so when the time comes, we can make sure she doesn't interfere with our plans."  
  
"Bolo, you and I will go down to the Underworld. I should come here only when needed. My competitors are anything but dumb. They have seen our group together, and they know I must be up to something." Moltor started pacing. "If they discover my alliance with Druscilla, they will link it to the disappearance of the Key and figure out our plans. They will join forces stop us!" He placed a hand on the cave demon's shoulder. "I need you to be my bodyguard, my friend."  
  
The troglodyte nodded while his lips twitched slightly upwards resembling what may or may not be have been a smile.  
  
Moltor turned to Druscilla. "You will have the fort, my dear. Don't disappoint me!" Druscilla just smiled evilly, then she waved them good-bye using one of Miss Edith's small arms. Both demons blinked out of the cave.  
  
~~~~~~ Charmed Ones' Home, San Francisco, Sunday 8:30 PM  
  
Cole appeared inside the manor. "PHOEBE! Anybody here?" Worried, he hurried in, checking all the rooms of the house looking for any sign of struggle. He had visited P3 and the girl in charge told him that Piper was on vacation for a few days and asked her to take charge.  
  
Standing at the bottom of the stairs, the good demon evaluated his options. I wonder where they went. I could bring them here, but Phoebe would just be more upset than she already is. I guess I will have to blink to where they are.  
  
At that very moment, Cole felt an evil presence. It was coming from room at his left. Something had just appeared in the living room. I wonder who is coming to pay them a visit?  
  
Feeling confidence in his newly acquired powers, the demon known in the underworld as Balthazor took a couple of steps and stopped under the frame of the doorway that lead into the living room.  
  
The two demons that had appeared inside the Manor were prepared with fireballs swirling over one of their hands. The double attack came towards the good demon as soon as he stood under the doorway.  
  
Time seemed to slow down. The fireballs were barely moving through the air. Cole smiled when he saw both demons standing where he had been a second ago. He had switched places with them, using the same trick that saved Phoebe from the bullet not even two weeks ago; the same day he broke free from that hellish dimension.  
  
Both demons received their own fireballs in their respective chests. Both demons flew back about 10 feet into the nearest wall, then both crumbled to the ground.  
  
Cole looked at them both with a huge lighting bolt floating above his right hand. "I hate to spoil your party, but I was feeling bored!"  
  
Both demons looked up. Parisa had never met Balthazor, but Sistar used to be one of his best friends, if there is such a thing as a 'friend' in the underworld. The latter opened his eyes wide in surprise. "Balthazor! That's. not possible. You were vanquished by the Charmed Ones. We all felt the Source's power disappear when you died."  
  
Cole looked at his old comrade. "That's right, but now I am back. Now, let's cut the chase. I need to know who sent you here."  
  
"I came alone." The demon felt the hairs of his neck standing up when he saw Balthazor's smile growing. He's changed. I can feel an incredible power coming from him.  
  
The former Source shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk.We have known each other for too long, my friend, so don't try to lie to me. Why don't you think what is best for you and your cute partner? You know how I hate housekeeping, and I don't feel like sweeping your dust today."  
  
Cole put out the lightning bolt and relaxed. "See? I mean you no harm.. Well... at least for now. Come on, who sent you?"  
  
Sistar looked at Parisa and, nodding his head, he turned to Cole. "Sorry, but I can't tell you." And without wasting a second, both demons blinked out of the manor.  
  
Cole's smile did not fade. "Should I chase them? Naaah.Something tells me we will meet again. Oh well, I will have to find that out on my own. Won't I?"  
  
Cole blinked out of the manor and into the underworld. He moved stealthily for a couple of hours through the caves and chambers, listening to the gossip and conversations. By the time he found the demon he was looking for, he had a very good idea of what was going on in the underworld, but he wasn't any closer to find who had sent Sistar after the Charmed Ones. "Hi Cecil, how are you?"  
  
The small demon almost died on the spot when he saw Balthazor in front of him. "This is not possible."  
  
"You know? Everyone keeps saying that. It's kind of annoying!" Balthazor did seemed very annoyed, and Cecil felt real fear gripping his two hearts. "I need to know who sent Sistar to kill the Charmed Ones."  
  
Cecil paled. "I don't know but what I can tell you is that he and another four upper level demons have been hanging with Moltor for the last three weeks."  
  
Now it was Cole's turn to pale. "Moltor?" Phoebe, what have you gotten yourself into this time? Then facing Cecil, the former Source fired a lightning bolt that easily destroyed the small demon in front of him. "Sorry pal! No loose ends! Besides, I think I did you a favor, Cecil! Moltor would have made you suffer for talking to me."  
  
Closing his eyes, Cole located the source of his love and focused on it "I hope she is in a good mood." Then he disappeared.  
  
~~~~~~ Giles' Apartment, Sunday, 11:30 PM  
  
The Charmed Ones, Willow, Mulder, Scully and Giles had been researching for over 10 hours without rest. Buffy was out patrolling and Dawn was sleeping on the couch. Anya had left hours ago to the apartment she used to share with Xander.  
  
Xander looked at each one of them. They all looked exhausted, especially Willow. He knew he was not good at research, but still he refused to go. He wanted to stay with them.  
  
Everyone knew that the young man was looking over Willow. The redheaded witch had always loved him for his generosity and unconditional love and friendship. He wants to make sure nothing happened to me now that I have my magic back. He is guarding me like a mother hen guards her nest. Willow giggled at the thought. Well, he has officially become your personal guardian angel. The witch suddenly realized that he was not just her guardian angel. He was the pillar that had held her together and kept her from going insane. The rock she could lean on. The lake of understanding everyone looks for whenever they feel like giving up. He was always there, when she needed him the most. He was the place where she could let go of her pain and fear and simply be her. They have always been like family, but they have become inseparables in the past months.  
  
Willow looked at the boy next to her. He looks very calm and content. I wonder what's on his mind.  
  
Without noticing his friend's look, the boy was doing some introspective analysis. Xander's witty remarks were rarely heard now. It all began the day his Willow started suffering. He had grown and matured a thousand fold by walking the path to recovery with his friend. Thousands of tears spilled, daily nightmares confronted, screams of fear in the night that cut his heart and soul in tiny pieces. He recalled a piece of a poem about a knight whose soul died when his beloved suffered the death of her father.  
  
He felt her pain, her loneliness, her tears, And that was a price he was willing to pay He experienced her nightmares, her love, and her fears, No doubt in his mind, he too, was buried that day.  
  
How true. That is exactly how he felt for so many months, but now, now his Willow was happy again. He felt so much joy inside, that he wanted to cry, scream, jump, say something stupid, but he couldn't remember how to do it. Have I changed that much?  
  
Willow was still studying Xander's face. "Xan, you seem to be so far away. Are you OK?"  
  
Xander looked at his friend. "Never better, Will." Then he took the book from her hands and spoke out loud, so the rest of the researchers could hear him. "I think it is time that you all take a well deserved break. You all look like crap!"  
  
Mulder lifted his head and after passing a look over the faces of those still sitting around the table, he nodded. "I think you are right. A good night sleep is what we need now."  
  
Buffy had not returned from patrolling yet and Giles was getting worried. "Can we stay at least until Buffy returns?"  
  
Willow felt ashamed for forgetting about her best friend. "I can locate her and bring her here. She probably lost track of time."  
  
Giles did not like Willow using too much magic, but the Charmed Ones did have a point when they told him that Willow's confidence should be at its peak when they were to face Moltor. "Please do, Willow."  
  
The redheaded witch looked surprised for a second, but recovered quickly. She smiled and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she exclaimed, "I got her!" Then she was gone.  
  
~~~~~~ Riverside Cemetery, Sunnydale.  
  
Buffy had been walking for hours without encountering a single vamp. Druscilla is definitely recruiting vamps these days.  
  
She felt uneasy. Not a moment passed that she didn't feel observed. Once more, she tried to get her invisible companion to come out into the open. "I know you are there. Come out wherever you are. "  
  
Trying to find the vamp tailing her had been impossible. It was as if he disappeared in thin air. God, where is he? If they were vamps, I would have found them by now. That only tells me that it must be a demon. He has not made a move but for all I know, I could be surrounded by now, without even knowing it."  
  
The slayer started backing up slowly, while looking in all directions. I better get the hell out of here. I wasted enough time already. Giles and the others are going to be worried.  
  
The blonde Slayer turned sharply, ready to run but stopped when she caught a light with the corner of her right eye. Turning on that direction, the Slayer prepared to fight.  
  
By the time the light became a human shape, Buffy was already in her familiar fighting stance. Mr. Pointy was held tight on her right hand.  
  
The light changed into a smiling face floating in the air, then the rest of the body appeared. "Hi Buff, it's just me!" Willow was smiling a few feet away. "Everyone was getting worried. I came to see if you were OK. Are you done here?"  
  
Seeing the surprised Slayer's nod, the witch added, "Do you need a ride back?"  
  
It took Buffy a few seconds to realize what Willow had meant. "You mean.beam me up? Like in Star Trek? Sure, why not? I always wanted to know how it would feel."  
  
"Well, it is not like in Star Trek, Buffy. You see, their transporters have this cool molecular imaging scanners that derive a real time quantum- resolution pattern image of the subject to be energized, while the primary energizing coils and the phase transition coils convert the subject into a sub-atomically disassembled matter stream." The witch sighed in content. "Those theories are so cool. I wish they could be real." Then looking excitedly into the Slayer's eyes, she continued, "And what seems to happen to the dematerialized matter until is finally materialized is even more fascinating." That's when the witch noticed Buffy's posture. The Slayer was frowning with a raised eyebrow, arms crossed and her right foot was impatiently tapping on the grass. Willow winced. "You are not a real Star Trek fan, are you?"  
  
Buffy had to smile at that. "Nope, well, at least not to the point where I must learn all the theory involved in the functioning of all those cool toys they have."  
  
Willow giggled, "I sound like a nerd. Don't I?"  
  
The Slayer caressed her friend's hair with her left hand. "You sound like our Willow and that is how we like it." Then she held Willow's right hand. "So, how does this transporter work?"  
  
Willow squeezed the Slayer's hand and closed her eyes. "Beam up for two. Are you ready, Buff?"  
  
Her blonde friend smiled. "Always!" Both girls disappeared.  
  
Behind some bushes, Sing stood up and smiled evilly. This is an interesting development. It looks like the Slayer is not alone. How odd! Then the demon spoke out loud to himself, "This is going to be fun!"  
  
His words were still in the air when his body vanished leaving just a cold mist swirling around the place where he used to be.  
  
~~~~~~ Giles' house, Sunday, 11:38 PM  
  
Xander looked very worried. "What's taking her so long?"  
  
Giles looked at the boy. "Relax, Xander. It's been only five minutes since Willow left. I am sure they are fine."  
  
Xander sat down next to Paige. "You don't talk much. Do you?"  
  
The witch smiled. "I actually talk quite a lot, but since my sisters are much more experienced and this is a very dangerous situation, I rather listen and follow their lead."  
  
"Mmmh. Humble. I like that in a girl," Xander nodded approvingly.  
  
The light indicating Willow's arrival illuminated the room. All present turned towards Willow and Buffy. Xander, relieved, finally released a breath he didn't know he was holding. Thank God, they are both OK.  
  
"Hi, everyone." Buffy moved towards the table where her old and new friends were "Gosh, you look like crap. You should stop now and continue tomorrow."  
  
Xander chuckled. "My words exactly. Well, at least the first part!"  
  
Everyone just nodded and stood up. They were about to start saying their good nights when another being appeared in front of them. Buffy's reflexes took over and within a second she was in between her friends and the newcomer.  
  
Phoebe walked pass the Slayer and addressed the man in front of her. "What are you doing here, Cole?"  
  
Cole looked embarrassed when he looked at a blackboard hanging behind the table where everyone had been working. The blackboard contained some schematics with arrows and names. One of those names was written in big capital letters above all. It was Moltor's name. "I came to warn you, but it seems that you already know what is going on." He then looked at Phoebe. "Still, I would like to help."  
  
Buffy took a step forward next to Phoebe. "Do you know this guy?"  
  
Phoebe nodded her head. "He is my ex-husband." I have not sent the signed divorce papers, so officially he still is my husband.  
  
The Slayer could see clearly that this was hurting her new friend deeply. Even her sisters were looking at the newcomer with distrust, and . Is that fear I see in their eyes? "Do you trust him?"  
  
Phoebe looked down at the floor and shook her head. "No, I don't."  
  
Cole looked heartbroken, but he wasn't going to give up that easily. "Paige, remember when you cast a spell to make me experience how Phoebe felt for me?"  
  
Paige cringed when both of her sisters turned to her. Oh, oh, they both look very pissed, especially Piper. The youngest of the Charmed Ones made eye contact with Phoebe. "I had to do it! Only Cole's love could have made you forget about being a mermaid and changed you back to your human form. It worked. Didn't it?"  
  
There was a chorus in the room from the Scooby Gang members. "MERMAID??"  
  
Paige quickly looked at them. "Long story."  
  
Cole continued. "Paige, please do the same to me, so Phoebe can feel what I feel. At least she will know that she can trust me. That I will never hurt her intentionally." The demon was begging.  
  
Paige looked at both her sisters, but was really waiting for Phoebe's approval.  
  
Piper looked at Phoebe. "It's up to you, Phoebe. We are going to be facing some very strong opponents and Cole's help would be invaluable, but I will not put you through this if you do not want to."  
  
Phoebe looked at her sisters and sadly smiled. "I don't think I have any choice. We need him, but we cannot accept his help if we do not trust him."  
  
Paige cast the spell:  
  
"Open Cole's heart to Phoebe. Reveal the secret that it holds. Bring forth the passion of love's fire. That she may feel his true desire."  
  
Phoebe recoiled in pain when she felt Cole's unconditional love filling her whole being. Paige and Piper hurried to her side but she recovered before they reached her. Tears were running down her cheeks when she looked at Cole. She then walked closer to her husband and, placing her head on his broad chest, she surrounded him with her slender arms. "I trust you."  
  
Cole sighed in relief. "Thank you."  
  
End Chapter 2  
  
~~~~~~ Chapter 3 Druscilla's lair. Monday Morning 3:30 AM  
  
Moltor was really upset. "It hasn't been eight hours since I warned you not come here too often and you are already summoning me. This better be good!"  
  
Sistar and Parisa looked at each other. "Balthazor was inside the house of the Charmed Ones. We had to escape before he killed us!"  
  
Moltor paled. "WHAT! That's not possible. He is dead!" Well, there was a good reason for calling me after all. "You did the right thing when you contacted me. This might prove to be an inconvenience." Then looking into Sistar's eyes, Moltor continued, "However, there is one thing that I don't understand, my friend. How could he have killed you two? You and him are evenly matched, Sistar. He should have been no threat for the two of you."  
  
Parisa growled, while Sistar explained, "He is not the same. He's changed, and he is clearly more powerful now. Don't ask me to explain it, because I can't understand it myself. I keep wondering how could that have happened."  
  
"He robbed those powers!" Druscilla's voice filled the chamber "Miss Edith told me." The vampire Mistress swayed towards the group of demons. She stopped in front of Sistar and whispered, "That's how he escaped the eternal torment, with stolen powers."  
  
Moltor weighed what he had just heard. "Either way, we will need to take care of him, if he interferes again."  
  
Sing appeared at that moment but remained quiet. Moltor looked at the Chinese demon. I like this guy. It is obvious that he too found something important, or he wouldn't be here, but I can't tell from his expression. Nothing alters him. He is a fountain of patience and tranquility. "Do you have anything to report, Sing?"  
  
The Chinese demon nodded sharply. "This Slayer is different. She is not secluded like the ones I have seen. I have seen her with four different individuals, six, if we count the vengeance demon and the owner of the Magic Box."  
  
Moltor was surprised. "She is friends with a vengeance demon?"  
  
Sing nodded again. "I talked to her vengeance master, and he told me that she is in love with one of the Slayer's friends. A human named Xander."  
  
Moltor seemed a little irate. "That is all good, but a vengeance demon and four humans cannot be considered a threat to our plans. What was the real reason that brought you here?"  
  
The Chinese's lips barely twitched up on what could be called a smile. "One of the friends is a very powerful witch. I felt her when she orbed out of my sight taking the Slayer with her. That's when I lost track of her. I went to the house where the Slayer and the witch live, but nobody was there. I also checked the Magic Box where they all seem to gather, but it was empty as well. I decided it was best to come here and report, before I started the search again."  
  
Moltor was not pleased. "You were right. The Slayer with powerful friends could be a problem to our plans. Mmmmh. I guess we will need to play safe and eliminate the Slayer, before Friday. don't we?"  
  
Sing bared his teeth, but made no comments.  
  
Parisa decided it was the perfect opportunity to clear up her name. Balthazor's interference and her inability to stop him had cut deeply in her warrior's pride. "Let me kill the Slayer for you, Moltor."  
  
The leader of the group turned his head. "A volunteer? I love volunteers! She is all yours. I want her dead before Tuesday night. That should give you enough time to plan how to get her away from her friends."  
  
Parisa smiled confidently. "She'll be dead before sundown, sir."  
  
Moltor frowned. "Do not underestimate her. Overconfidence will get you nowhere. She has already stopped four apocalypses and the ascension of a senior demon!"  
  
She became serious. "I will not fail you or I'll die trying."  
  
Moltor smiled sweetly and neared the female demon. Caressing Parisa's left cheek, he looked into her eyes. "That's good, my dear, because even if you survive, those who fail me die anyway."  
  
The female demon felt a shiver go down her spine and forced a smile. "Rest assured, the Slayer is as good as dead." Saying that, she vanished in thin air.  
  
Moltor looked at Sistar and Sing. "You two try to find Balthazor. I need to find why was he in the Charmed Ones' house and if he is still on our side. If he doesn't want to cooperate. kill him."  
  
Both demons nodded and vanished.  
  
Feeling a pair of hands hugging him from behind, Moltor smiled. "Dru, my dear. You did not tell me anything about the Slayer's friends. I like to be well informed, you know that."  
  
Druscilla felt uneasy. "The little witch did not have any real powers last time I was here." The demon turned around to face the vampire who was making patterns in the air with her finger. "She just helped the Slayer's watcher with potions and spells, but that was about all. I wouldn't worry much about her." For a second she paused to look at Moltor "Our concern should be the Slayer."  
  
Moltor smile grew when he heard the venom with which the vampire had spat the word Slayer. "You really hate her. Don't you? Is there anything else there that you haven't told me?"  
  
Druscilla growled. "She took away my Angelus first and now my Spike. She will die painfully for that!"  
  
"My, my. that is an interesting and, must I add, entertaining development. Are you two competing for the love of the same men?" Moltor smirked. "Well. there is no real competition when it is plain to see you have been outmatched easily."  
  
The vampire Mistress' growl deepened. Her eyes turned red from anger when she heard the demon's laugh. Moltor laughed even harder when he saw the vampire's contorted face. Druscilla couldn't take it anymore; she leapt from where she was standing, in a frontal attack that would have scared any human and quite a few demons as well. Her eyes showed clearly how insane she was, and her face had changed to her demonic visage.  
  
The demon looked unimpressed, but he was no longer laughing. The second that took Druscilla to reach Moltor seemed to freeze in time. She was still in the air going down towards her soon-to-be victim, while Moltor waited patiently without moving a muscle. The first attack looked like that of a tigress. Her hands bent in a tiger-like claw, swinging her right arm at an incredible speed. Her intentions were to rip open Moltor's jugular and then just suck him dry.  
  
The powerful upper level demon waited until Druscilla's claws were merely a couple of inches away from his neck. Then he moved.  
  
Druscilla has never seen anyone or anything move so fast. She didn't see him move. All she felt was that her arm had been stopped inches from its target by some invisible and unmovable force. Probably magic.  
  
She was so surprised that it took her a few seconds to realize it hadn't been magic what had stopped her arm. It was Moltor's left hand. Her surprise escalated quite a few notches. For a moment the she felt a seed of fear growing up inside her. He is going to kill me But the demon only looked amused, not angry.  
  
Moltor slowly caressed Druscilla's left cheek with the back of his free hand. "Please try to behave, sweetie. I still have some plans for you." Moltor then let go of the brunette's arm and turned his back on her.  
  
There was no misunderstanding about who was superior. He was letting the Druscilla know that she posed no threat to him. "Hmmm, where were we? Oh yes.The Slayer vs Druscilla soap opera." He chuckled, turning his head only, and looked at the brunette. "You should keep those feelings in check, my dear. If I see the possibility that you could ruin my plans for trying to chase some 'broken heart' vendetta, you will become a liability to me."  
  
Druscilla looked at the demon in front of her. It took her a great deal of control to cool down her anger. Her insane mind was still yearning for vengeance, but she was finally able to silence its persistent cries. "You are right. Please forgive me. I will keep my feelings in check and then when you are the Source, I will deal with the Slayer!"  
  
Moltor cheered, "That's the spirit!"  
  
The brunette vampire continued, "I already promised you that we would handle this your way, and I have not changed my mind on that." Then, standing up, she neared the demon and asked seductively. "So, am I forgiven, then?"  
  
"Sure, sweetheart. The fact that I am a demon doesn't mean I can't forgive! Well, actually.. it wouldn't be real forgiveness, because I still wouldn't trust you, but HEY!" Moltor opened his arms and shrugged, chuckling. "I don't trust anyone."  
  
Druscilla smiled. "Well, now that we are OK, are you ready for your afternoon massage?"  
  
Moltor smiled. I love it when they are docile. "Afternoon? It is 4AM, my dear!"  
  
"I know, vampire's afternoon, I meant. I will be heading to bed soon. Miss Edith is asleep already, so she will not bother us." Then she looked at the demon again. "So do you want it or not?" Druscilla turned around and, swaying her hips, headed towards her bed.  
  
Oh, what the hell! Moltor sighed and shaking his head, followed the vampire Mistress. It's no use! I'll never learn how to say no to a beautiful woman. Then, looking at the brunette, he smiled. Druscilla was taking her white gown off and there was only a pair of thin-laced panties underneath. The demon held his breath as the white gown fell at Druscilla's feet. She is beautiful!  
  
~~~~~~ Inside Toy Boy's lab, Monday 10 AM  
  
"What a rat hole! Well, I guess it is more or less what I expected to find. The equipment is OK for the task at hand. However, I will have to bring a few gizmos of my own to make our job simpler and more efficient." Tux was smiling while he surveyed the place in detail. Man! The guy is well equipped!  
  
Toy Boy was not pleased with the arrangement, but he was not going to complaint. He feared his Mistress, but now he was even more afraid of his new boss. Moltor had proven to be a really evil and merciless son of a bitch. He had killed several vampires for no good reason. Well, to him speaking without being requested to do so seemed to be a fatal reason. Toy Boy was glad nobody messed with him. He was happy in solitude and preferred it that way. However, this time, he would have to put up with his new partner, and hoped he didn't go nuts listening to the complaints about the lack of commodities.  
  
"What kind of gizmos are we talking about here?" Toy Boy was intrigued. Since he knew who the demon was, he had to admit, that maybe this arrangement wasn't so bad. Electronics was his life, and here he was, talking to the 'electronics' guy himself. One of the few that started giving life to all this marvelous devices he loved so much Yeah, things could be a lot worse. I wouldn't like to pair with Bolo, for example. Toy Boy shivered at the thought.  
  
"Nothing fancy, just a wider bandwidth access, using one of my personal fiber optic lines. It should at least double the speed of our network. Some long range earpieces for land communication and a prototype of a 50Ghz CPU I am working on."  
  
Toy Boy's lower jaw hit the floor. "50.. Ghz?"  
  
The demon laughed good heartedly, "Just kidding!"  
  
The vampire smiled. "You sure have a twisted sense of humor. That joke made my heart beat of a second."  
  
The demon looked at his partner. "What do we have on the Slayer?"  
  
Toy Boy stopped smiling. "The bugs are still there, but I think they might have discovered them."  
  
That called the demon's attention. "What are you basing that supposition on?"  
  
The vampire looked at one of the screens in front of him. There was a sound wave running across it. "There hasn't been any important conversation in the house, and I am sure they are holding the meetings elsewhere." Then he looked back at the demon next to him. "I wouldn't trust any information we might pick through those bugs from now on. To me, they are useless."  
  
Tux stayed quiet for a couple of seconds. "I think you may have a point there. Let's keep them active for a little longer, just to make sure."  
  
Toy Boy nodded. "When will we be getting the new gadgets?"  
  
The demon headed towards the door. "I have something to do at the office this afternoon. I will pick them up then. We should have our people or at least the key leaders all wired up tonight. Keep up the surveillance. I must talk to Moltor now. See you at sundown!" After that, Tux blinked before reaching the exit.  
  
The vampire was shaking his head. "I hate it when they do that!" Then he concentrated on the monitors reporting sounds from the Slayer's home. How did they find them? Probably those morons placed them at plain sight. OK, so they know about them, but they do not know we know that they know. Shit! I see a stupid never ending circle coming up. OK. Forget about that! So they know. The question now is how can we take advantage of this? I am sure they are planning on feeding us with bogus information hoping we will take the bait, but we will not do such thing.  
  
The vampire kept his eyes on the screens in front of him, but the images were barely registering on his brain. He was still trying to figure out how to counterattack the moment they received a fake tip. The important thing is to know where they are at every moment, so we can hit them when they least expect us and that will be when they think we are somewhere else following their false intel. The bulky vampire got up and walked out of the lab. I think I need to talk to the Mistress about this. So far the demons have not been able to keep tabs on the Slayer, let alone all her friends. We might need more field agents.  
  
~~~~~~ Giles' Apartment, Monday, noon  
  
Dawn came bursting through the door. "An 'A', Buffy! I got an 'A' on my math test! God, I was so worried about it! I thought I was going to flunk it!"  
  
Her sister stood up from the couch and gave her a big hug. "Wow, I am impressed! I don't think I have ever gotten an 'A' in anything. Well. that is if we count out the one I got in the wrestling class five years ago!"  
  
The Slayer's sister giggled, "I think we should count that one out!"  
  
She received yet another hug from her proud sister. "Yeah, I think so, too."  
  
The rest of the Scooby Gang were smiling. Xander gave the brunette a pad on the back. "Way to go, Dawn!"  
  
Giles took of his glasses and started cleaning them as he too smiled. "Indeed, a commendable feat, Dawn."  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Giles, can't you just say 'I am proud of you, too'?"  
  
Giles looked at the teenager with a puzzled look plastered on his face. "I believe that is what I just said."  
  
There were giggles and chuckles in the room. Xander placed his hand on Giles' shoulder "Don't worry, G-man. Don't lose your faith. Someday you will learn to speak the good everyone-can-understand type of English. I can give you some real American English lessons if you want."  
  
It was Giles' time to roll his eyes. "I better get myself a cup of tea. Please excuse me."  
  
Dawn looked at all those who were still praising her accomplishment. "Thank you, guys, but I owe this success to my own personal teacher." And walking to the red headed witch, she handed her a big chocolate bar. "Thank you, Willow. I couldn't have done it without you!" Then she hugged the witch.  
  
Willow was smiling from ear to ear. "A Butterfinger! My favorite! Dawny, you shouldn't have and of course you could have done it without me. I barely explained this material to you. You are a very bright person, you know? I do not think I deserve any credit. It was you who did it!"  
  
Dawn smiled and thanked her once more. Then she turned to her sister, who was behind the table where the Charmed Ones were sitting. "Are we training today, Buffy?"  
  
"No, Dawn. We are having a small break until we find out when Moltor and Druscilla are going to make their move." The Slayer made a bored face "I am a girl of action. I hate research. I think I will go to the mall until it is time to patrol."  
  
"Can I go with you? Please?" The teenager begged using her best puppy dog look.  
  
Mulder chuckled when Scully whispered, "Buffy will not be able to say no, the same way I can never say no when you use that look."  
  
True enough, the Slayer's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Ohh, alright!"  
  
Giggles and chuckles were heard in the room when the teenager squealed in delight. Giles however did not let them leave without one last warning. "Ladies! Please keep in mind that we are no longer fighting just vampires. Sunlight is not an inconvenience for these demons. Please be careful!"  
  
Both girls nodded and left.  
  
* * *  
  
Outside the Giles' house, 12:15PM  
  
Buffy and Dawn left the house quickly before Giles changed his mind and made them stay inside. They were both chatting while walking at a fast pace.  
  
Behind them, there were two eyes floating in the air. That Chinese good for nothing! He may be a good fighter, but must have Bolo's IQ. I can't believe he couldn't find the Slayer after the witch took her! It did not take me 30 minutes to find this place. Parisa started following the two girls. Well, it seems that they know what we are up to, but they still don't know when or where our little party is starting. The question is if I should get back and report what I just heard to Moltor? Naaaahh, I will tell him after I fulfill my task. Then I will offer him two good news instead of just one!  
  
Parisa was not very patient and going through all the small stores and shops inside the mall was not her idea of having fun. It seems that I will need to kill her sister as well. They are not going to separate any time soon.  
  
It was quarter before six when the two girls finally decided to head back home. The demon was really tense. Her blood lust had escalated proportionally in the past two hours. It was about damn time. I was tired of looking at cheap clothes with no style. What are girls thinking these days? They dress like tramps. The demon sighed while shaking her head. Ahh, the good old days. Now, women knew how to dress then! Getting dressed was an art. Now it is less important than brushing your teeth. She sighed once more. Oh well, time to kill. Now, how can I get them into a secluded area?  
  
* * *  
  
The were both passing in front of an alley when they heard the scream of a woman. "HELP!"  
  
Like if they were part of the same machinery, both girls simultaneously looked at each other for a brief second. Knowing what their respective sister had in mind, they both ran toward the dark alley.  
  
When they reached the end of the alley, they did not see anybody. The place looked totally deserted. Puzzled, both girls looked at each other once more. "I could have swore that the scream came from here. Something is not right." Buffy kept looking around trying to figure out if there was any escape hole someone could have used to run away.  
  
Dawn was calmed and focused. Her instincts were telling her that they were not alone. "I know what you mean. I am sure we are being watched. We should get out of here. This smells like a trap!"  
  
Parisa was having a good laugh. "Give the girl a prize. It is a trap!"  
  
The strange voice coming from behind set the two girls into motion. As one, they separated from each other, so they both would have enough fighting ground.  
  
The synchronization of both girls' moves when changing position and getting ready was so perfect that it seemed they have practiced it for a Chinese play. They must have rehearsed it hundreds of times. Their stance was identical and they both looked way too calm for her liking. This two girls know how to fight. It is like if they both were Slayers but how can that be?  
  
Buffy and Dawn had already seen the two eyes floating in the middle of the alley where the chuckles were coming from.  
  
"Are you going to show yourself?" Dawn was less patient than her older sister who was still calculating her upcoming fight and planning in her mind for the worse case scenario. I do not see anymore of them, but I doubt this demon is alone.  
  
Parisa dramatically starting showing her body by pieces. She let her head appear first, then one leg, then another, and so on until she was fully visible.  
  
None of the girls looked impressed. Dawn looked bored to death. Buffy remained focused on the demon in front, while still trying to scan the rest of the alley with her other supernatural senses. I can't seem to find anything. "Where are your comrades? I doubt you came here alone looking to fight us."  
  
The demon looked annoyed. "I have killed a couple of Slayers, and I am sure I can handle one Slayer and a kid."  
  
Buffy had found yet another ace to use against this evil force they were about to face. They seemed to be oblivious about Dawn's abilities. They could use that against them in the near future.  
  
Dawn, on the other hand, was even more upset. She hated when people called her a kid. On top of that, the demon said the word kid like if she was a mosquito, an annoying inconvenience that could be ignored. I'll show her not to mess with me! "Buffy, can I fight her? You can watch my back in the meantime. Please?"  
  
The blonde Slayer looked at her sister. "Why? You know we won't be able to kill her anyway."  
  
Dawn simply smiled, almost evilly. "I just want to kick her ass. That's all!"  
  
Buffy was sure that there was nobody else in the alley; anyway she could watch Dawn's back while she fought. It would be a good experience for both of them. She could study Dawn's movements when facing a different opponent and probably a different style as well. "Ok, but don't take too long. It is almost time for me to patrol." Then, like if she remembered something, she added, "Ahh! Try to knock her out, so we can take her back with us. OK?"  
  
"Sure, no problem." Dawn advanced three steps closer to the demon and took again the fighting stance.  
  
Parisa was speechless This two insects are treating me like if I was nothing! She growled in anger and looked at the Slayer who now seemed bored with the whole situation. "I will tear your little sister into pieces and then you will be next, Slayer!"  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. stop talking and start fighting. I am getting hungry, and I still have a duty to perform, you know?"  
  
The female demon could not take it any longer. She leaped the two meters that separated her from Dawn, but found only air in the space where the brunette had been standing a second before.  
  
Dawn had seen the attack coming. The demon wanted to throw her in the ground by brute force. Who knows what she would try to do then, probably just rip her guts open. Now, that's a nasty thought. She quickly bounced sideways and as soon as her left foot touched the floor, she sprang towards the demon throwing a powerful right kick to the demon's side below the ribcage.  
  
All Parisa saw was a blur bouncing to the right, so she tried to turn her head in that direction. That's when Dawn's kick hit her full force. The demon flew about two meters in the air, hit the brick wall and fell on her knees gasping for air.  
  
She tried to get up, leaning on the wall next to her, but she was unable to do so. It was like if a bomb had exploded on her right side. Her legs were unable to hold her any longer and she was still trying to get some air back into her lungs. This can't be happening. How was this little girl able to hurt me so badly with just one kick? Why is she so fast? Who is...  
  
Parisa's train of thought was abruptly interrupted by yet another kick. This one exploded right on the demon's temple, immediately knocking her unconscious.  
  
Dawn stood in front of the unconscious demon, a smirk dancing on her lips. "By the way...I am not a kid!"  
  
The whole fight lasted about six seconds. Buffy applauded effusively her sister's display of abilities. "We have to call Giles and the Charmed Ones, so they can take care of this demon."  
  
Dawn looked around. "We are only five blocks away from Giles' place. Let's just carry her there!"  
  
Buffy shook her head. "We can't just kick her on the street if she regains consciousness. However, I can hold her indefinitely here. Whenever I see her coming out of it, I will just kick her again."  
  
Dawn turned around. "Fine, I will go to Giles' and get them to come here." Dawn exited the alley, running. I wish I could run faster but there is still too much people out on the streets. Hang on, sister.  
  
The brunette covered the distance in about three minutes. She was running fast, but not inhumanly fast. Quite a few pedestrians looked at her surprise written on their faces, but since they couldn't know how much distance she had covered already, and since she looked like she was still fresh, they assumed that she had just started her run.  
  
Giles was talking to Willow when the doors burst open. "What the h.? DAWN! What happened?" Fear was showing on his face. Buffy!  
  
Dawn was already speaking. "Buffy is OK. We found a demon, and Buffy let me kick her demonic ass. The demon is unconscious but could wake up at any moment."  
  
To Giles' and everyone else's relief, Buffy was all right, but they knew time was of essence, so the whole gang got up ready to go.  
  
Willow stopped them before they started heading towards the door. "I will go. I can get there faster and bring both over here. Piper, can you get ready to hold the demon? I believe we would like to ask him some questions."  
  
"Her," Dawn corrected, but when she saw Willow's puzzled face, she quickly added, "Never mind. Just hurry up, Willow." She hesitated for a moment. "We were afraid others could be there but although we could not find any other demon, I will not be calmed until she is safe with us."  
  
Willow nodded and disappeared.  
  
Piper offered her left hand to Paige and her right to Phoebe. "Take us there. I don't want to take any chances!"  
  
Paige nodded and orbed her two sisters out of the apartment. The distance to where Buffy was waiting was covered in a blink of an eye. Willow was already next to the blonde Slayer, who was quickly explaining what had happened ". had to kick her again when I saw she was waking up!" Phoebe and Paige walked towards them.  
  
Phoebe touched Buffy's right shoulder. "Buffy, we should not stay here. Someone might see us."  
  
Buffy stopped telling the story and nodded. "You are right. I can tell you all about it at Giles'."  
  
Piper walked to where the demon was. Using her freezing power, she moved her right hand towards the still unconscious Parisa. "There! That should keep you still for a few seconds. At least enough to render you unconscious again." Then she turned to her sisters and friends. "OK, ladies, time to go."  
  
Phoebe and Paige went back to where Piper was while Willow and the Slayer disappeared. They picked up Parisa and orbed out of the dark alley a second later.  
  
~~~~~~ Druscilla's lair. Monday 6:30 PM  
  
Toy Boy kneeled down at the entrance of his Mistress' room waiting for Druscilla to notice him. The female vampire was having an animated conversation with Miss Edith. "No, no, no. You should be ashamed of yourself, Miss Edith. I am not killing him! I know he still loves us. He will come back. All he needs is a little persuasion."  
  
Toy Boy was certain that 'persuasion' meant 'torture, agony and mind control'. The word had been spat with so much venom and anger, that the vampire genius felt pity for whomever she was talking about. The poor bastard would regret having abandoned Druscilla.  
  
The female vampire finally turned around. She had a knack for knowing when there was a presence near by. "What is it, my child?"  
  
Her minion remained on his knees. "I think we need to help the demons keep tabs on the Slayer and her friends." Toy Boy had the speech already prepared in his mind, but Druscilla's presence made him very nervous. The best he could, he proceeded to explain why he believed the bugs they placed in the blonde Slayer's house had been discovered and how they could still be useful. "They are going to be misleading us milady, but when that happens, they will have their guard down." The vampire finished with an almost timid smile.  
  
Druscilla was deep in thought for about a minute. "Very well, then. I will talk to Moltor about this. In the meantime, tell Carlos that I want him to send a group out. Their orders are to follow the Slayer's friends only. Tell them to stay away from the blonde bitch. She would sense them if they get too close." Druscilla paused and looked back to where the doll was laying. "Thank you, Miss Edith." Turning back to Toy Boy, the vampire Mistress smiled evilly. "Tell them that we will reward anyone who can bring me the head of any of the Slayer's friends." She then turned her back on her minion ending the conversation. "This time, you will have a head to play with, Miss Edith. One that doesn't go... puff" Giggling, she picked up the doll and started dancing around the room.  
  
Toy Boy did not see any of his Mistress' dances. As soon as she turned her back on him and she started talking to the doll, he had headed out of there and into the big chamber where the armies remained expecting orders. They were not allowed to leave unless they were sent out by Druscilla or Moltor.  
  
He finally located Carlos and relayed the Mistress' orders. The Mexican quickly gathered five of his best men and explained their task. The vampires were thrilled with the idea. Being locked up was a burden too heavy to carry for all of them. They were hunters, predators. The inability to leave their confinement was driving them crazy. They longed for their freedom. It was like cutting the wings of a bird and the worst part was that there were still four more days to go until they could get out of that cave.  
  
It is true that their blood lust was not a problem. They were been fed properly. The demons have brought plenty of blood bags they probably stole from a blood bank but still vampires preferred to hunt. They enjoyed the fear in their victims' eyes. They believed that the adrenaline running through their veins made the blood taste better, sweeter.  
  
Oh yes, those that were selected were really happy. The fact that there was a reward if they were able to kill one of the Slayer's friends was totally unnecessary but a welcome incentive nonetheless. Besides they did not need to worry about getting close to the only person they really feared. That made the whole assignment the best news they could have ever received at that moment.  
  
Carlos knew how they felt. Smiling, he assigned each one a target and sent them out. "I want you all back before sunrise. Now, GO!"  
  
~~~~~~ Giles' Residence, Monday night 7PM  
  
"You better kill me right now, because I will never tell you anything!" Parisa was really pissed. From the moment she regained conscious and felt unable to move. The witch's power however could not hold her for more than five or six seconds and when she was finally able to move again, she realized she was trapped. They had placed three magical white stones around her. She was imprisoned inside some sort of invisible pyramid. Trying to move outside the stones' range was a painful experience she was not willing to experience again.  
  
The Charmed Ones smiled at her. "We have ways to make you talk and believe me, they are not as tame as the ones we have used with you so far."  
  
"You good-doers. Your code of ethics is one of your major weaknesses. You can kill me, but I doubt you can torture me." The demon was challenging the Charmed Ones to deny her words.  
  
"They may not have the heart to torture you, but I do." Cole stepped into Parisa's visual range with a cold smile dancing on his lips. "I have tortured so many humans and demons alike that I've lost count many years ago. You wouldn't believe all the ways you can use to extract information from a demon."  
  
The female demon lost all color. She was visibly scared. Facing Balthazor again was not something she expected to be doing any time soon and being totally helpless was a real nightmare. He could hurt her badly and keep her alive and in pain for as long as he wished.  
  
Cole chuckled. "Well, from the look in your eyes and how quickly the blood ran out of your face, I can see that you already know a few of those methods and probably have used them yourself."  
  
The oldest of the Charmed Ones placed her left hand in Cole's right arm. "Cole, you seemed a little out of control there. Are you OK? You know we can't torture anyone or anything. It is not in our nature." Piper sounded sincere when she addressed the ex-Source.  
  
The good demon sent a warning look to Piper. "It may not be in your nature, but it is in mine! Stay out of this. I will make her talk." He then positioned himself in front of Parisa. "So, what's it gonna be? Spill your guts or literally SPILL YOUR GUTS! Tick, tock. I do not have all day."  
  
Piper too neared the magical cage. "I think it would be in your best interest if you follow his advice, demon."  
  
The imprisoned demon let her shoulders sag. She was defeated and she knew it. The fact that she was a warrior did not mean she was stupid. If she was going to die, she preferred a clean death. Getting her panties dirty while being tortured for someone else's vendetta was not in her plans. She was no hero. Leave that role to the stupid good-doers in front of her. She was a demon and to lie, to hate, to cheat or betray were part of her demon nature. Besides, selfishness was her favorite virtue. Moltor would never appreciate it if I sacrifice myself for his cause anyway! "I'll talk!"  
  
Almost everyone was scared by the way Cole took control of the situation. They really believed he was going to torture the demon right there and then. The Charmed Ones had briefly explained part of Cole's history and the reason why they were not willing to trust him in the first place. Phoebe was the most affected. Cole's evil representation, or so she wished to believed, kept her heart constricted in her chest and her body shaking. She was amazed at her older sister's calm exterior.  
  
Seeing Phoebe's state, Paige hugged her and whispered words of comfort and reassurance in her ear.  
  
The older Charmed One, however, remained unfazed, but almost everyone believed that her calmed appearance was just a facade. The Scooby Gang thought she was ready to stop Cole in case the female demon did not want to talk and he decided to carry out his threats.  
  
Cole smiled. "I am certain I said that I did not have all day. I hate to repeat myself, Parisa."  
  
Mulder and Scully were furthest from the scene, taking place in Giles' living room. Mulder was smiling and Scully too had a hint of a smile showing on her beautiful face.  
  
"They are good!" Scully barely heard Mulder's whisper. "Oh yeah! He makes our bad cop, good cop routine look like an invitation to dinner."  
  
Mulder chuckled at Scully's words. "We should ask those four, specially him, to help us with our routine. Don't you think?"  
  
"What for? We are no longer FBI agents, Mulder." Scully did not take her eyes off their prisoner.  
  
Mulder looked at his partner, lover and soul mate "It can come in handy."  
  
"Sssshhh, let's watch the show!" Scully placed her right palm on top of Mulder's left hand. Mulder turned it over and entangled his fingers with hers. He looked at the two hands joined and marveled at the small hand of his petite lover. This is how I always wanted it to be. God, if you exist and can hear me, I am forever grateful for giving me this wonderful woman.  
  
When Mulder returned his attention to female demon she was finishing telling what she knew ".. because the planets will be aligned by then."  
  
Giles softly banged his forehead with his palm. "But, of course! How did it slip my mind? I should have thought of that!" Then he paused and dramatically sighed, "I am getting too old for this!"  
  
Buffy giggled, "You are too old, period!" Everyone laughed at Giles' outraged face.  
  
When the laughter died down, Piper turned her attention back to the encaged demon. "You know we can't let you live."  
  
Parisa nodded. "I'll see you in hell, Charmed Ones."  
  
Phoebe and Paige placed themselves next to Piper. The oldest sister threw the potion they have made using a piece of flesh from the female demon. Phoebe showed them the paper that contained the vanquishing spell she wrote.  
  
"For all the ones you hurt and killed, You'll be no more, And their pain you'll feel."  
  
The demon's body started shaking. A black mist began slowly devouring her body starting at her feet. Parisa's screams did not stop until her head started disappearing as well.  
  
Scully covered her ears and hid her head inside Mulder's chest. The ex- agents were shocked by what they have seen. Mulder's eyes and mouth were wide opened. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed.  
  
Dawn and Willow sought protection inside Xander's arms. He hugged both girls wishing someone would comfort him.  
  
The Scooby Gang was an experienced group, but all the demons they have killed barely had time to swear a word or two out or yelp before they vanished or got dusted. They were not used to listening to a 10 second long- suffering scream. Xander was particularly shaken. "Oh, my God! Make her stop!"  
  
The Charmed Ones turned back to their allies and friends and were surprised to see their shocked faces. They soon realized that this was probably the first upper level demon they have seen vanquished.  
  
Phoebe looked very embarrassed by the whole situation. Her younger sister whispered. "Mmmh. Ooops". Piper walked closer to their new friends and apologized. " It is our fault. We should have prepared you better for this. We are sorry"  
  
Phoebe shyly smiled. "Yeah, sorry about that. I guess the thought that you have been fighting demons and seeing them die made us believe you have seen this before!"  
  
Xander was trying to swallow a lump that had formed in his throat. "We have. I mean. both. fight and die.no.them die. I mean. This is different. All that screaming and agony."  
  
Willow interrupted, nodding her head sharply. "Xander's right; our demons die quickly. They. They.don't scream; they. They just go poof," She accompanied the sound with her hands making the imitation of a small explosion.  
  
With her mind too numb to carry any intelligent conversation, Buffy just used her hands to mimic the explosion as well. "Yeah, poof" she said and then sat down on the chair behind her.  
  
Paige tried to make eye contact with all her new friends while she spoke. "We have fought those too. Piper usually just blows them up with her power, but upper level demons are harder to kill."  
  
Phoebe continued where Paige had left off. "These demons require a potion specially made with their own flesh and a vanquish spell we three have to recite. One or two of us can slow them down by causing them pain, but eventually they will keep on coming. Only the Power of Three can really kill them."  
  
"How about blowing them up?" Xander was still trying to come to terms with the new evil they were going to be facing.  
  
Phoebe looked at the young boy and shook her head. "They blow up alright but their bodies are quickly reassembled. Then they are even more pissed and harder to deal with. It is like if they got used to the pain!"  
  
Mulder was thinking furiously. "Is the Power of Three the only way to kill them? What if anyone of you is hurt or worse? I don't mean to be negative, but it is a possibility to consider in our planning. That means we will have to move resources to watch your backs."  
  
Piper shook her head. "Upper level demons are very hard to kill, but not invincible. Most have an Achilles' heel, head, heart, etc, but since the Power of Three is one sure way to destroy them that's what we use. However, with the vanquish spell and six or more witches, you should be able to do the job as well."  
  
"Where are we going to find six witches? Tara is gone, and I only know of one more in Sunnydale." Willow sounded frustrated. "If something happens to one of you, we will be still two witches short."  
  
Most of them were nodding at Willow's thinking, but the Charmed Ones did not seem to agree. They were smiling and looked very confident. "We know at least three more witches and my husband is a Whitelighter, as you all know. We are not his only charges. He knows of many powerful witches around the globe. He can simply orb out and get them over here if there was really a need to do so."  
  
Leo stepped in Piper's conversation. "You all must understand that this is something we are not allowed to do. Every witch is strategically placed to fight evil in her area. Only in extreme cases have the Elders approved such method, but Piper is right. The option is still available if the situation is really bad."  
  
Scully's logical mind took over. "Bad? Please define 'bad'! I think we are in a pretty 'bad' spot right now. We are outmatched and outnumbered, with two crazy powerful evil bosses trying to open the Hellmouth. What does it take for our situation to be classified as 'BAD' then?"  
  
Mulder looked surprised at his lover. She was usually a very cool person who lost her temper rarely. Not that she had lost it there, but she seemed truly annoyed at the Whitelighter's remarks.  
  
Leo shrank a bit. "If a Charmed One dies. That's what it would take for the Elders to give me permission to bring more witches into Sunnydale to prevent the Hellmouth from opening. As long as the Power of Three exists, they will not allow it."  
  
"That's outrageous!" Scully now seemed very upset. Mulder placed his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down, but she had not finished. "The fact that we have an opportunity to gather more help and vanquish these demons faster and lowering the chances of anyone of us getting killed should be sufficient reason to allow it!" The ex-FBI female agent had to breathe after that.  
  
Mulder looked at her still surprised, but with his heart swollen of love and pride for his Scully. She had a big good heart. She was just caring for the well being of everyone and to tell the truth, he too couldn't understand why it was so hard to get more help from other witches when it was so easy to do.  
  
To everyone's surprise, it was Giles who addressed Scully's valid complaint. "I understand Leo's position on this."  
  
Buffy, Xander and Willow said, simultaneously, "You do?"  
  
"This is not about us only or simply the Hellmouth. It is true that this is probably the most dangerous fight good is facing at this moment in the world, but . But everywhere there are innocents dying as we speak. Every one of those good witches are saving lives and killing demons as we speak. Good men, good women and children are been defended. This is about balance. Evil and good balance must be kept at all times. Wherever there is evil, there must be good at all times or the balance will be broken and the scales will slowly tip against us." He then looked at those he had come to regard as his family. We have been through so much together. God, let us survive one more time. "I do not know about you, but I personally would not approve of even one child getting killed, because a good witch was brought to assist us."  
  
Leo nodded. "I think Giles explained the situation better than I could."  
  
Scully looked at Mulder and then the rest. "I am sorry. I think I was a little selfish there."  
  
Buffy looked at the former FBI agents. "It wasn't just you, Agent Scully. At least I knew about all the good-evil balance thing, yet I still wanted Leo to go get more help!" Buffy looked contrite. "I am sorry, too."  
  
Leo placed his hand on the Slayer's shoulder. "You were just worried about your friends." Looking at the group, he added, "You all were and that is OK. No need to apologize."  
  
Willow still looked a little afraid. "People, we still need to get some help on this one. We cannot rely on the Charmed Ones every step of the way. We need to be able to cover ground and divide into groups. They are going to be too many for such a small group."  
  
Mulder stood up and walked to the blackboard. "Well, let's prepare for the worst with what we have." He turned to his audience. "So far, we know that there are five upper level demons left." A five was written on the blackboard with the word 'demons' next to it. "Plus at least 20 vampires." The number went up below the five with 'vamps' written next to it. "I have been reviewing the newspapers and there have been 15 deaths in the past two days." The 15 was written as well with a +/- 10 next to it. "Worse case scenario is that they are all vamps, so we have a total of at least 40 to 50 enemies to face." Mulder wrote the total at the bottom of the sum.  
  
He then started pacing back and forth in front of the blackboard. Nobody said a word in almost a minute. Mulder's mind was working furiously, contemplating all possibilities "So far, they have been turning an average of 7 every night, but I believe this is just to keep a low profile. I have no idea how many they can turn daily using the Key, ten, 20, 30?"  
  
Giles interrupted. "Although the Key is indeed a powerful weapon, it has its limitations as well. First only one vampire can enter the house with it and it takes almost 10 minutes for the magical shield to finally gave in and allow him to enter."  
  
"That's great news, Giles! So, they cannot turn more than 15 humans a night." Mulder stopped and paced some more. "If they are a little smart, they will probably keep doing it the same way they have in the past two days." Looking at those present, he clarified, "They have been killing people that live far from each other. That makes the task more time- consuming." The ex-agent's mind seemed to be somewhere else once more.  
  
"Doesn't that bother you?" Buffy asked Scully while pointing with her thumb at Mulder's faraway look. He clearly heard the comment and excused himself. "You see, they can only add a number no bigger than 10 if they want to keep this as quiet as possible until Friday. Let's see." The ex-FBI agent remained quiet for a long time. His audience was getting impatient, except for Scully who was used to Mulder's analytic mind.  
  
The male ex-agent finally mumbled, "Hmm, there might be another way to stop this guy." Turning to the only demon present at the moment, he asked, "How many do you think Moltor would need to be able to successfully take over the underworld?"  
  
Cole did not hesitate. "I would do it with 50, but Moltor would not risk it. He doesn't like maybes. I would say he would try to get at least 70 vamps before attempting it."  
  
Mulder smiled. "That tells us that he is probably at least 20 to 30 vamps short." He went back to black board and started writing again:  
  
Place: Old School Ruins When: Friday Night Time: ?  
  
Giles spoke again, "I believe we know the time as well. It will be 10PM. That is when the planets will be aligned and the Hellmouth dimension is closest to ours." Mulder changed the question mark for a '10PM' while Giles continued, "Moltor will have exactly one hour to complete the spell. After that time, he will need to exert at least twice the energy to be able to open it, and I believe he wants to be strong when he enters the underworld."  
  
Mulder was starting to feel a little optimistic. "You see, not everything is bad. They still need to find more help, and they have a time constraint that works in our favor." He then wrote:  
  
Objectives: First: Recover Key ---- stop Moltor's army from growing. Second: Keep Hellmouth closed Third: Kill Moltor and Druscilla Fourth: Kill upper level demons Fifth: Destroy army of vamps  
  
Mulder looked at what he had written and nodded. He then turned to the group of brave people that had been his audience for the past hour or so. "We have to hurry. The sun has already set, and I believe a group of vampires are already out there using the Key. We need to find a way to stop them. Preferably tonight."  
  
An expert at casting spells, Phoebe addressed Giles, "Do you have a picture of the Key? With that, I can make a tracking spell to locate its current position."  
  
Giles took off his glasses while shaking his head. "I have been researching, but I have not found anything on the Magic Key, nor I recall reading about it anywhere. I am sorry."  
  
"Perhaps we are researching for the wrong item." Mulder's mind had had some time to think. 'Magic key', that's it! The term is English and the device is ancient, so it must have had a different name in a totally different language when it was created.  
  
Giles threw him a puzzled look. "I translated the words to every ancient language I know, and I could not find any reference similar to it."  
  
The ex-FBI agent nodded. "I assumed you did, but you translated the name we are using now. English is a relatively modern language. What if the key was named differently before and someone thought that 'magic key' was a better name for it? We are talking about a weapon that was created when the home protecting magical shields were placed. I really doubt we are going to find anything under 'Magic Key' or any of its translations."  
  
Following Mulder's train of thought, Scully looked at the Whitelighter. "We have to find what was it called when the Elders made it."  
  
Everyone looked at Leo. He smiled and disappeared. Leo's voice however seemed to stay a little longer in the room. "I am on it!"  
  
"Well, people, we might not have enough information now to find the Key right away, but we can still patrol in groups and we may get lucky." Mulder smiled. "And even if we don't find them, our presence will hinder their plans and make their work harder as they will have less area to hunt. I am sure that will affect the number of humans they were planning to turn tonight."  
  
Everyone cheered at the idea, specially the Summers sisters. They seemed to accumulate much more tension than a normal human being and that was probably their constant need for action. The need to release all the tension that had been slowly building since the moment they found about their new enemies was overwhelming. Anticipation was killing them.  
  
Next thing to do was to divide the group in three separate teams that would set themselves outside the town.  
  
Buffy, Giles, Xander and Willow were the first team; Dawn, Scully, Mulder and Cole formed the second team and the Charmed Ones were the third team.  
  
The teams were supposed to start moving inward in the same direction tracing a spiral pattern. Finally, when they reached downtown, they would meet at the magic shop.  
  
Everyone left.  
  
End of Chapter 3  
  
~~~~~~ Chapter 4 Halliwells' residence, San Francisco, CA. 10 PM  
  
"Where is he, Xavier?" Sistar was talking to another demon. After failing in their search for Balthazor, they have looked for the assistance of a bounty hunter called Xavier.  
  
"You know I will not able to locate him until he uses his powers. Then he will be yours!"  
  
"Damn, Balthazor! Where are you?" Sistar was losing patience and looking at Sing's unfazed expression was not improving his mood. It's better to talk to a wall than to that fucking Chinese! "Should we stay or should we go elsewhere? What do you think, Sing?"  
  
The Chinese demon looked at Sistar and simply shrugged. Sistar sighed. As I said, a wall is more communicative. "OK, we will stay until midnight, just in case him or any of the Charmed Ones show up."  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Downtown, Lincoln Park, South Area, Midnight  
  
They have been walking for about an hour when they encountered a gang in the park. Dawn was the first one to see them, although none of them knew if they were vampires or not. None had their game faces on.  
  
Our good guys were at the top of a hill, and they could only see how a group of about five males surrounding a bench where a young couple was making out. There could be more but a couple of trees made it hard to tell. The two teenagers were totally oblivious to what was transpiring around them.  
  
Cole couldn't help but to speak his mind. "Who can be so stupid to make out at this hour outside in the Hellmouth?"  
  
Dawn felt her face turning red when she remembered her little escapade with two vampires. The stupid adventure almost got her killed or worse. She was thankful that Giles, Buffy and Spike had showed up and saved her and her friend. The Slayer's sister sighed. I have made some mistakes in the past, but that one was a really stupid one.  
  
"Give them a break, Cole. They are just a pair of teenagers. I doubt they know the danger they are putting themselves into. Now, let's focus on what are we going to do." Mulder paused a bit to order his thoughts. "I suggest that if the group of delinquents happened to be human, our first objective will be to get the teenagers out of the gang's grasp and then Cole and Dawn can scare the bad guys away. However, if they are vampires..."  
  
Dawn continued where Mulder left off. ".then the first part still applies, but instead of giving them a good scare, we'll kindly invite them to help nature by staying here as soil fertilizer. right?"  
  
Mulder smiled and Scully giggled. Cole simply shook his head at Dawn's twisted sense of humor.  
  
Dawn smiled at them. "What? Can't I crack a joke too every once in a while? You should see my sister. She can't fight without throwing some witty remark or some ugly twisted joke. Kind of reminds me Spiderman's or Flash's sense of humor."  
  
Cole smiled this time, but Mulder and Scully looked confused. "Huh?"  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Forget it. You are too old to know what I am talking about. Let's just go and kick some ass. OK?"  
  
Scully shrugged without caring, but Mulder had a hurt expression on his face. "Heeey! Who are you calling old? We know who Spiderman and Flash are. We just don't have time to follow their promising superhero careers so closely, Dawn. I tell you what, if you take it back, I will make time to rent the Spiderman movie. Deal?"  
  
Scully and Dawn were trying not to laugh at Mulder's childish begging expression. The brunette finally gave in. "OK, deal!"  
  
Cole tapped on Mulder's and Dawn's shoulder. "People! Kindergarten break ended. Time to do some work!" He was pointing at the gang leader who was now trying to grab the girl, but she was keeping him away swinging her shoe.  
  
Mulder started descending the hill at a fast pace. The rest followed him.  
  
* * *  
  
At the bottom of the hill, the one that seemed to be the leader, had separated himself from the group and was walking towards the two kids while the rest remained behind. Two were still hidden behind a bush. He stood right in front of the couple, but they did not notice his presence.  
  
The kid took a small break to breathe after spending who knows how much time kissing the girl. Playing the perfect Romeo, he looked into his girlfriend's eyes and murmured, "I love you so much, Diana."  
  
She responded with a passionate kiss, which was quickly returned by her eager boyfriend.  
  
The thug turned his head to his gang and put his index finger inside his mouth like if he wanted to puke right then and there. Then returning his attention to the couple, he mimicked, "I love you so much, Diana." His laugh could be heard from a hundred feet around. All the young delinquents started laughing as well.  
  
The kid quickly stood up finally aware of the mocking presence in front of them. His first instincts were to tell the stranger to go away, but when he saw three more men standing behind him, he lost all the initial resolution. "Please leave us alone, mister."  
  
The gang leader simply smiled. "Why? This is so entertaining! Besides, I like the girl. Maybe she would like to make out with us too?"  
  
The boy paled even further and stammered, "I. I. please don't hurt me. I won't say anything.. But please let me go now. OK?"  
  
The young blonde named Diana looked at her boyfriend with disgust in her eyes. "You bastard." She had a fire that few possessed. Her temper had been the cause of quite a few school detentions. Getting up as her friend became more and more nervous, she looked at the stranger with fire in her eyes. "You better leave us alone or I'll wipe that smirk from your mouth with one of my shoes." Backing up her words with her actions, she removed one of her shoes and started swinging it in front of her body to keep the thug away.  
  
The boy opened his eyes wide in surprise while he felt the panic rising up inside him. "Are you crazy? Put that shoe back on. Don't be stupid! They could hurt us!" He then tried to take the shoe away from his girlfriend's hand, but the brave, or depending on the point of view, stupid blonde pushed the boy away. "Stay away from me! You may not have guts, but I do!"  
  
The scared boy was not expecting such strong push and ended up on his ass. The grass softened the impact of his fall, but he could have broken his bones that he wouldn't have cared. All he wanted was to get the hell out of there as soon as possible.  
  
The small gang found the whole scene really funny. All of them were laughing and cheering the girl's attitude.  
  
"You tell him girl!"  
  
"Yeah baby. kick his ass"  
  
"Your lady seems to have more balls that you do, boy. ha, ha, ha."  
  
Meanwhile, in stealth-like walk, the two FBI agents, Dawn and Cole moved towards the group. They were still about 100 feet from the couple in trouble, but vampires have an extraordinary hearing ability, and they couldn't risk being heard.  
  
Cole and Dawn were to avoid the use any special powers in front of the young couple, unless the vampires showed their game faces or someone was in a life-threatening situation.  
  
Back at the park bench, the rest of the gang members were still laughing at his leader's so far futile attempts to grab the girl. Finally the thug got tired of playing and decided to tackle her like a football player would against one of his opponents. "GOTCHA!"  
  
They both went down and his superior strength allowed him to remove the weapon from the teenager's hand, but not without getting hit at least once on the head with it. "Ouch! You bitch! You'll pay for this!"  
  
The gang members started getting closer to where the combatants were laying. The boy remained frozen, still sitting on the grass where he had fallen. "Come on boss. Give it to her. That's what she wants!" Their leader slapped the girl so hard that she almost lost consciousness for a second. Things started spinning around her head but she quickly recovered when she felt her blouse being ripped open by the thug on top of her.  
  
She extended her hand and scratched the guy's cheeks. "Arrgghh! Whore!" This time, he closed his fist and punched as hard as he could but his arm had only started to move when it was suddenly stopped. He was so surprised that he couldn't comprehend what was happening. He attempted to punch again, but his arm would not move.  
  
A female voice warned him, "I wouldn't try that, if I were you."  
  
* * *  
  
The moment that Dawn saw the guy slapping the girl, she lost all patience. Using her enhanced speed, she covered the 60 feet that separated her from the girl in trouble in a couple of seconds. She was happy to see the running lines of blood on the guy's cheeks. This girl has guts! Oh, oh. punch coming. Got to stop it!  
  
Dawn extended her arm right on time to block the guy's brutal punch. Phew, just in time! Then she felt the man try to punch again, but obviously he accomplished nothing with his second attempt. "I wouldn't try that, if I were you."  
  
The gang leader turned his head at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. "What the fuck!" he quickly stood up, his victim long forgotten.  
  
He looked appreciatively at the young teenager in front of him. "Mmm. nice! Do you want some of this too?" He grabbed his crotch to emphasize what he meant.  
  
Dawn simply smiled and then hit the guy on his forehead with her open palm. The force of the blow made his brain bounce back and forth for a second enough to render the criminal unconscious.  
  
The Slayer's sister was about to turn around to face the rest of the delinquents when she felt two arms grabbing her body. The biggest member of the gang stood in front of her. He was about 300 lbs, probably an ex- football player or a weight lifter. "You are going to pay for what you did to Snake, sweetheart, and I will be the one making you pay!"  
  
The huge guy chuckled when he saw his future victim wincing. "I can see you are getting scared, bitch."  
  
Dawn shook her head. "Scared? I just can't stand your bad breath. Haven't you heard of mouthwash?"  
  
The thug growled in anger while the rest of his mates laughed at the joke. He turned to his accomplices. "Shut up!" Then, looking at the guy still holding Dawn, he threatened, "You'll learn not to make fun of The Bear. Hold her for me, Tiger!"  
  
* * *  
  
Everything had happened so quickly. In two seconds, Dawn had left her friends behind and moved to the place where all the action was.  
  
When Cole saw the gang members closing on Dawn, he stood up from where they were crouched.  
  
When Mulder saw his demon friend getting ready to run, he stopped him. "Cole, get down. She doesn't need us yet, but we will have the benefit of surprise if we approach unseen."  
  
The demon looked surprised at his two companions, "But she could get hurt!" Frustrated, the ex-Source closed his fists. "I will hold you responsible if something happens to her."  
  
Mulder realized that Cole was unaware of Dawn's abilities. He had been told that she had superior strength and speed, but that was not enough to know how much more stronger or faster she could be. It also left out the fact that she was a trained martial artist. Well, he will find out soon enough!  
  
Scully was the one to respond to the good demon's remark. "She is in no immediate danger, but we should remain alert and ready to intervene just in case."  
  
The FBI agents stopped for a second to survey the grounds and make sure there would be no unwanted surprises and that the whole gang was now present at the scene.  
  
Cole advanced a few steps then he stopped and waited for his teammates to catch up with him. There were a total of five delinquents, not including their unconscious leader, of ages between 17 and 25. One was holding Dawn while another one was about to attack her. Three more were spread around them ready to attack if needed.  
  
Cole was sure they were all human. That doesn't mean they do not deserve to die for what they were planning to do to the blonde girl and now to do to Dawn. I have seen demons with more honor than these scumbags.  
  
The good demon started advancing, but Mulder stopped him again. "They seem to be human. She is in no danger. Look at her! She is even smiling."  
  
Cole was about to argue when he saw Dawn's face. She seemed to be having the time of her life! The one in front of her was saying something to his partner at the moment. ".her for me, Tiger!"  
  
Dawn couldn't help but giggle, "Snake, Bear, Tiger? Who are you guys? 'The Zoo Gang'?"  
  
The one called The Bear yelled in anger while he charged with all his 300 lbs against his victim.  
  
Tiger yelped in panic when he saw his huge friend going after the girl he was holding. His survival instincts commanded his muscles to let go of the girl and get away from the Bear's path.  
  
Dawn had her legs ready. She was waiting for the attacker to get closer but to her surprise, the one behind her suddenly released her. Crap! Who am I going to lean on now! OK, change of plans. She sidestepped as quickly as she could.  
  
Bear was not thinking clearly at the moment. His whole world revolved around the girl that had had the nerve to laugh at his expense. Still charging like a bull, he opened his arms wide. All he wanted was to take down the insolent teenager and then he would show her who was in charge. He never expected his prey to suddenly disappear.  
  
The Slayer's sister saw the one they called Bear passing by like a trackless train and falling flat on his stomach next to his scared partner who winced at the sight. He is probably worried about what Bear will do to him for letting go of me. she thought, giggling.  
  
Tiger was indeed scared. Bear had a nasty temper when he got mad and he seemed pretty mad right now. Shit! Shit! Shit! Bear is going to kill me for letting go of the girl. I need to make it up to him.  
  
Tiger called his acquaintances. "Hey guys, let's show this girl not to mess with us." Putting words into actions, he moved towards the intruder, while the rest of the gang surrounded her.  
  
They were about to attack when they hear the Bear calling, "Stay back. The bitch is mine!" The whole group stopped and let the Bear pass through.  
  
Dawn's smile grew bigger. "Some people never learn." She moved swiftly towards the big guy who was once more facing her. She kicked his left thigh muscle with her right leg's shinbone.  
  
An smaller opponent would have kneel down with that blow but The Bear remained standing although when he tried to walk towards her, one could see that he was seriously limping. The huge man couldn't understand how a girl half his size could have caused so much damage on his bulky leg.  
  
Dawn smiled when she saw the Bear wincing at the first step. "Hurts, doesn't it? Well, I am sorry, but this is going to hurt even more!" Finishing the last word and side kicking the thug on the pit of his stomach was all one and the same.  
  
The Bear's body remained in the same place, but his solar plexus bent in as far as it could go. He gaped like a fish out of the water and slowly bent forward and down. Nobody had ever hit him so hard. His senses were on overload from so much pain. He couldn't breathe and he felt like his chest was stuck on his spinal vertebrae. Oh God!  
  
With one hand on the ground and the other on his lower chest, the Bear felt nauseous. His body was refusing to keep any food inside at the moment. Unable to stop heaving, he threw up everything he had eating during the day. "Arrrgghhh... B.it..ch."  
  
Dawn jumped a step back from her opponent. "Eeeeeeewwww, point in another direction, would ya? You almost got my new boots dirty!"  
  
The ex-FBI agents opened their eyes in awe. Scully's first thought when she saw the kick was that Dawn had killed the poor bastard but when she saw his chest immediately recovering its shape, she breathed a sigh of relief. That was a very precise kick. She hit him right on the solar plexus, not to high enough to break the bone, nor too low where the abdominal muscles would probably be able to withstand the force of the blow.  
  
Mulder whistled while Cole looked at the young brunette with admiration in his eyes. Gosh, I would hate to be the target of those legs! Amazing!  
  
Dawn turned around and smiled at the still standing four members of the gang. "Anyone else wants some?"  
  
All four attacked her simultaneously. They had already figured out that this was no ordinary girl. She appeared to be some kind of female Karate Kid or something similar who could very well kick their asses to the next state, if they were stupid enough fight fair. A group attack was the most logical way to go.  
  
Dawn did not expect them to fight one on one. They have seen enough to know that she was dangerous so she readied for the coming confrontation. What she had not foreseen was the fact that two of the delinquents were now armed. Both of them had knives as big as her forearm.  
  
This was the first time that she would be fighting against blades for real. She did not feel scared, not even worried. Instead, she felt thrilled, excited, accelerated, eager and more ready than ever.  
  
Cole had stayed still for as long as he could. He was impressed with the young teenager's fighting skills, but he doubted she would be able to fight off four grown ups, let along if two of them were armed. A ball of energy was forming on his right hand.  
  
Mulder saw something bright next to him and when he realized that Cole was preparing some sort of supernatural attack, he placed a hand on Cole's arm. "No powers, remember?"  
  
The ex-Source looked at the blue energy ball and sighed "Sorry, force of habit." He closed his hand and the light effectively dissipated.  
  
* * * Halliwells' residence, San Francisco, CA. Tuesday12:10 AM  
  
"GOT HIM!" Xavier was eagerly tracking his target when the signal he had received disappeared. "Well, I think that'll have to do."  
  
Sistar was laying down on one of the Manor's couches when he heard the bounty hunter's yell. He quickly stood up and neared the tracker. "Can you locate him?"  
  
Xavier nodded. "I think so, but the signal was so brief that I did not have time to pinpoint an exact location."  
  
Sistar held the lower demon from his shoulders and looked hard into his eyes. "How near?"  
  
The low level demon could not hold Sistar's penetrating gaze. "Somewhere within 200 feet. I think."  
  
Sistar nodded sharply. "Good enough. Take us there! Sing, let's go!"  
  
The three demons disappeared.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Downtown, Lincoln Park, South Area, Tuesday 12:10 AM  
  
The good demon stood up. "Well, I can still use my fists! Right?" At Mulder's nod, Cole quickly moved behind the one who called himself Tiger and tapped on his shoulder with his index finger. "Can I borrow that knife for a second?"  
  
The thug spun around with wide-opened eyes. "What the fff." His phrase was cut short by Cole's punch.  
  
Cole liked to cause pain. It was still part of his demon nature, but he was trying to keep it in control, to gain Phoebe's trust. Nevertheless, in his human form, he could hit as hard as he wanted without fearing he would kill anyone, so he did. His new acquired powers allowed him to heal immediately, so he did not mind if he broke his knuckles in the process.  
  
The gang member fell on the floor. His cry of pain alerted the other members who were now facing two enemies instead of one. Bleeding through his nose, Tiger tried to pick up the knife again, but he had no time to use it. Cole took advantage of the fact that the man was still down on the ground and kicked his head before he could even try to get up.  
  
The ex-Source then picked up the knife and stood still, waiting for the criminals to make their move.  
  
Scully agreed with her demon friend's actions. Although Dawn could take care of herself, she did not want to take any chances. She looked at her lover looking for his opinion and his encouragement.  
  
Mulder shrugged and grinned, "Time to play, I guess." They hadn't practiced in while, but he knew they could handle themselves against one opponent, so they stepped into the fighting ground next to Cole.  
  
The odds were against the criminals now. With three of them unconscious and only one armed, they decided that it was best to run as far from this group as they could. They turned around, not caring about their fallen comrades and disappeared into the night.  
  
Dawn looked at her three friends with a big pout. "Party poopers."  
  
Scully neared the teenager and gave her a big hug. "We have more important matters to attend to, Dawn. You will have plenty of fun later."  
  
The Slayer's sister smiled back at the redheaded woman. "Promise?"  
  
Scully squeezed the young brunette in a maternal hug. "Sure thing! Now let's see how our two lovebirds are. OK?"  
  
The boy and girl they had just rescued had to pick up their lower jaws from the ground. They were amazed at the courage and skill of their brunette savior, but even more so when they realized that she had backup yet those friends considered unnecessary to intervene. Well, at least until the gang members drew out the knives.  
  
The admiration in the blonde teenager's eyes was obvious. Who is this girl? Her friends believed she could have defeated the whole gang!  
  
Not waiting for help, the young girl got up and met Scully and Dawn halfway. "Wow, who are you? Are you from here? Where did you learn to fight like that? Can you teach me? Please?"  
  
Dawn was feeling very uncomfortable under the scrutinizing look of her new 'fan'. Her powers were normal to her and she sometimes forgot that not everyone was like her or her sister. I have to be more careful when fighting in front of an innocent. She decided to ignore the girl's questions about her fighting skills. "My name is Dawn. These are my friends Scully, Mulder and Cole. What's your name and what are you doing in a park so late?"  
  
The blonde girl's cheeks turned crimson red when she heard Dawn's last question. "My name is Diana. I... I.we.we did not want stay home. there are visitors there. and we thought. well.we thought the park was a good place. to. to spend time together."  
  
Mulder helped her boyfriend who seemed to be in shock. "Come on, kid, time to get up!"  
  
Scully sighed. "We figured that much. We are heading downtown. Where do you live?"  
  
The girl pointed south to where they were standing. "About six blocks that way."  
  
Dawn took the girl's hand. "Very well, we will walk you there just in case. How about you?" The brunette was looking at Diana's boyfriend who was still very scared. .  
  
The boy tried fiercely to construct an intelligent response "I. I. I."  
  
Diana looked at him with disgust written all over her face. "Oh, shut up!" She then turned to Dawn. "We are neighbors. He lives almost in front of my house."  
  
The boy cast his eyes down. "I am sorry!"  
  
But Diana did not want to hear anything from whom she considered her boyfriend. "I said SHUT UP! You were planning to run away leaving me behind. If it wasn't for Dawn..." Diana let the sentence hang. Everyone knew what could have happened. "You did not care about what could have happened to me! BASTARD!"  
  
The boy looked at his girlfriend. "I. I. I was just trying to go get some help! I am not a fighter. The least I could do was to run for help! Yes! I swear. That's what I was trying to do!"  
  
The girl simply shook her head. "I am sorry, Michael, but I don't believe you. I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore!"  
  
If the boy was saying the truth or not, nobody really knew for sure, but Dawn suspected Diana was right. The boy was scared shitless. He couldn't care less about his girlfriend's well-being. I am glad she is dumping him. She deserves better!  
  
Mulder took the lead and started walking. "OK, it's settled then. We will take you back home. Let's get moving!"  
  
Diana sighed, "I am sorry, but I think I did not thank you properly. Really, thank you for saving my life. our lives."  
  
The four friends answered simultaneously, "You're welcome."  
  
The two teenagers led the way as the four others followed them right behind, sharing the same satisfying feeling of a job well done.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Downtown, Lincoln Park, South Area, Tuesday 12:11 AM  
  
Sistar, Sing and Xavier had appeared next to the hill where Dawn had originally seen the gang approaching the unfortunate couple. However, they were in the opposite side of it. They looked around and the area was large enough to see that Cole was nowhere near. Sistar started getting angry. "I can see more than 200 feet here, Xavier."  
  
Xavier looked at the hill next to them. "They have to be on the other side of this hill."  
  
The three demons quickly blinked to the top of the hill and true enough, they saw their prey hitting a human.  
  
Sistar and company had missed the whole show, but they appeared in time to see how Balthazor and the other three humans were chasing the thugs away from the scene.  
  
After a few seconds, they had a pretty good idea of what just what happened down there. It was really quite simple: the attack on the young couple and the whole hero role of their target and friends.  
  
Sistar looked at the three men that were still unconscious. Balthazor's work, I am sure! "Well, there he is. The great Balthazor, showing off in front of some humans."  
  
Xavier backed away a couple of steps. "My job is done, Sistar. You hired me to locate him and I did. Pay what you promised me and I will be gone. I want nothing to do with Balthazor. He has killed too many of us already. I don't want to be part of that list!"  
  
Sistar looked at the bounty hunter with disgust. "Here you go." A brown bag flew out of Sistar's right hand and it was quickly caught by the lower demon. "Now get out of here before I kill you myself. I hate cowards!"  
  
Xavier did not wait another second to disappear.  
  
When Sistar and Sing returned their attention to his target, he was already walking away with the group of humans. "Let's follow them!"  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Downtown, North Side, Tuesday 1:00 AM  
  
"This is boring! I am the Slayer! I should be slaying something!" Buffy was frustrated. They have walked for almost four hours and they had barely seen a soul. "I should have picked the west side. These homes are too secure for our fang boys to risk it!" Cordelia used to live here. I wonder what's she doing now? Then she looked at her witch friend. "Even the police comes every night to patrol these homes. I wish I had enough money. Then I could hire an entire squadron to go with me patrolling every night! Yeah! A few tall handsome and muscular marines obeying my every command could come handy now and then!"  
  
Xander took Buffy's left hand and gently slapped it with his right one. "Bad, bad, bad Buffy!"  
  
Willow was giggling but Giles was not pleased with all the conversations going on around him. "Buffy, please remain quiet! Surreptitiousness is the key component in this scouting mission!"  
  
The Slayer stopped and looked at Willow, but seeing that her redheaded friend had understood her mentor's words, she turned to Xander for support. He nodded and they both turned to Giles. "Huh?"  
  
Giles rolled his eyes for the thousandth time. "We need to be stealthy! We should move without being noticed! OK?"  
  
Comprehension washed over Buffy and Xander's faces. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?" Buffy hated when Giles went all 'sophisticated Englishman' on her.  
  
"American English 101, G-man! Remember? No charge. I'll be happy with a few free meals to keep my gorgeous looks. Maybe a few slices of."  
  
"Quiet, please!" Giles' impatient command quickly shut Xander's incursions in the teaching business. "It is unlikely that we can be effective in our duty, when all the demons are able to hear us from two blocks away... and Xander, I have told you a thousand times not to call me that!"  
  
Buffy and Xander looked at their feet. "Sorry."  
  
The reinstated Watcher did not look moved by their sorrow. "We should get moving. We are still a few blocks away from the meeting point."  
  
Willow started walking and they all followed.  
  
When the group arrived to the magic shop, the Charmed Ones were already there. Phoebe told them that they have been sitting on the sidewalk for over thirty minutes, but it was Paige's words that caught the Slayer's attention. "Hey guys, how did it go? We found a group of five vampires thinking they were Bruce Willis in Hard to Kill. We had to chase them around two blocks. Piper blew up three of them and Phoebe killed one more. Unfortunately, the fifth one escaped through the sewers, but I doubt they were the ones that had the Key. Phoebe and I think they were following us from the start. We both saw strange shadows moving on the sides a couple of times while we were patrolling."  
  
Buffy was trying to deal with her eagerness to fight. "You guys are so lucky! At least you found vamps. I just walked for hours watching big old expensive houses left and right. Believe me, no fun at all!" The Slayer sighed dramatically. "No fang boys to help me get rid of all this stress! Where are they when you need them?"  
  
The four witches smiled at Buffy's pout. Giles decided it was best not to say a word. He walked to the shop's door and pulled out the key.  
  
Once inside, he moved to the small kitchen to make a cup of tea. He offered one to everyone, but they all declined. The rest of the group sat around the big table in front of the cashier talking about the evening's events, while they waited for the last team.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Downtown, South Side, Tuesday 1 AM  
  
"Well, this is it!" Diana did not look happy. They had finally reached her house, yet she hadn't been able to find out much about her rescuers. They were very tight lipped every time she had tried to get information about any of them. She burned their names in her memory, so she wouldn't forget. I owe them my life! She was sure the girl was going to school and since there was only one school in Sunnydale she would be able to see her there. I hope she wants to be my friend!  
  
Mulder smiled at the blonde teenager. "You better go in Diana. Your parents might be worried." The girl moved two steps towards her house but then she walked back and gave a quick peck to Mulder and Cole and a hug to Scully and Dawn. Then she ran off to her house.  
  
Michael had felt left out the whole walk home. Diana wouldn't talk to him and his saviors were not very fond of chitchatting. He thanked the group and crossed the street that separated his house from that of his ex- girlfriend.  
  
Mulder resumed the walked towards their meeting point, while his teammates followed. They hadn't walked three blocks when two figures appeared in front of them.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Downtown, South Side, Tuesday 1:30 AM  
  
Sistar looked at Sing. "They left the kids already. All we need to find now is a more secluded area. Then we kill them!"  
  
The only response he received was the twitch in Sing's lips and the spark of life that shone on his evil eyes.  
  
The opportunity appeared about three blocks down the road. There was a construction site covering almost two blocks in size. The group was passing by the area at that very moment. There was almost no light and only a couple of houses next to a small playground on the other side of the street. It's perfect he thought, baring his teeth. Sistar changed to his demonic self and addressed his partner, "Time to play, my friend."  
  
The Chinese demon did not change, but remained human. He would change if it were needed only. Sistar did not argue.  
  
Sistar looked surprised when he heard his companion whispering some words. He could not hear most of it but he understood enough to know that the Chinese was casting a protection spell over that area. For what, he did not know.  
  
Both demons blinked out from where they were hiding and appeared right in front of the group.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Downtown, South Side, Tuesday 1:30 AM  
  
Mulder and Scully froze at the sight of Sistar's appearance. Dawn jumped ahead of them in a guard position while Cole remained impassive. It was him who addressed the demon. "Hello, Sistar. I see you went for help."  
  
Sistar smiled at the ex-Source. "You've changed! I know I can't beat you all by myself, but with Sing's help, it should be no problem!"  
  
Both groups started moving inside the construction site, trying to hide their presence from possible onlookers.  
  
Cole nodded. "Very well, then!" He then built two energy balls, one on each hand, while yelling at his friends, "RUN!" Both balls were fired simultaneously. Sistar threw himself on the ground, but Sing lifted his right palm and caught the ball on his hand. He then squashed it like if it was a candle he was putting out. Only smoke coming out of his hand remained.  
  
Cole paled. Crap! This guy is too powerful! Sistar was already shooting fireballs towards Cole. The good demon was able to stop it the same way Sing had stopped his. He ignored the burning pain coming out of his scorched flesh. His new regenerative powers gave him amazing healing abilities and the burns disappeared in a couple of seconds. Sing, however, did not have those healing powers and Cole noticed the marks his energy balls had left on the Chinese demon's hand. He might be good at handling the pain, but his right hand is still burnt!  
  
Mulder and Scully had drawn their guns and were firing at both demons. Sistar seemed to be having trouble dealing with the holes caused by the firearms. Sing, on the other hand, remained impassive.  
  
The ex-Source changed into his demon self. The difference in powers between Sistar and myself are probably as big as mine and those of that Chinese motherfucker! This should compensate that!  
  
Mulder, Scully and Dawn looked at their new friend with wide opened eyes. They knew he was a demon, but they had not actually seen the great Balthazor in his demonic form. The sight was impressive.  
  
The Chinese demon smiled to the point where his teeth were almost visible. He looked at Sistar. "Leave him to me!" Then nodding at Cole, he built two fireballs and threw them towards the group. One was heading directly to where Scully was still standing and the other one to the good demon.  
  
Balthazor barely had time to dodge the attack. His mind was screaming at his lack of ability to save the pretty redheaded woman. His deep booming voice echoed in the deserted construction area, "DOWN!"  
  
Not in a million years could have Scully be able to avoid such devastating blast, but Dawn could. She became a blur when she moved towards the ex-FBI woman and pushed her away from the deadly path. The speed of the fireball was that of an arrow and Dawn had caught quite a few arrows in her training sessions. Fireballs, however, could not be caught like you catch an arrow and having both hands occupied, forced her to use her body to stop the demon's attack.  
  
The fireball hit Dawn on her upper right shoulder immediately causing a first-degree burn and lacerating all the nerves that allowed the movement and feeling of that arm. Part of her flesh was hanging on her back and her shoulder bone was exposed in some areas.  
  
The impact had thrown her six feet back against the near metal fence. The brave teenager had to bite her lips not to scream. Her powerful body had been able to withstand the blow, but not without taking a big toll in the process.  
  
Dawn shook her head to dissipate the after-blow numbness she was feeling. Then she got up as fast as she could. Cole is in danger. I can't give up. Her hurt arm was hanging useless on her side, but the rest of her body was tense and ready for action, pain was set aside, only a focused mind remained.  
  
When Mulder saw his lover falling down next to him, he realized he had almost lost her. He quickly picked her up, and they both run for cover. From behind a big column of concrete that was laying flat on the yard of the construction site, they started firing at the demons again. It might not kill them, but it should hurt them or at least distract them and certainly annoy them. That should help our fighters a bit. "Aim at their heads, Scully!"  
  
Mulder was right. The bullets were not going to kill these demons, but they were painful nevertheless. The first shot hit Sistar right on his left cheek and the second one on his chest. He yelled while he covered his face with both hands. A splinter of his cheekbone had entered his right eye and that bothered him more than the bullet injury itself. "Arghh!"  
  
For most demons the eyes are directly linked to their powers in one way or another; for a few of them, they are their most deadly weapons.  
  
Mulder knew he was not as good as Scully was, so he preferred to aim to the broader area, while his lover shot at the head. "Good shot, dear!" The redheaded woman smiled and fired again, this time she aimed at Sing.  
  
She saw his head moved to one side when the bullet hit, and she could see the hole it made in his skull, but the demon did not seem to be in pain. He barely winced while the other guy screamed! What kind of demon is this?  
  
Dawn did not miss the opportunity her two ex-FBI friends were giving her, nor did Balthazor. The teenager launched herself against Sistar, while the good demon managed to block one of Sing's fireballs with both his hands, before sending out four consecutive energy balls to the Chinese demon. His transformation had dramatically increased his powers. At least he could stop the devastating fireballs the Asian demon was throwing at him.  
  
Sing was able to stop two of Balthazor's energy balls, but the other two hit him square on the chest. He was thrown back for about ten feet and slid another two on and into the sidewalk. His shirt burned totally exposing his incredibly well muscled torso. Two badly burned areas marked the place where the energy balls had landed.  
  
The demon's face was contorted in a grimace that showed how much this attack had really hurt him. His eyes were two burning pits of lava when he looked at the good demon and his words carried the same hate that could be seen in those eyes. "I don't understand how a mere child is capable of hurting me. I was sure I could defeat you with this form, but I guess I was wrong!"  
  
Walking back inside the construction area, the Chinese demon brought out his demonic visage. He was not as tall as Balthazor, but he was much wider, with long arms that gave him a primate-like appearance. His eyes kept the orange-red color that they had before the change started. Sing's smile showed a set of sharp pointy teeth and four canines that would be the envy in a werewolf convention.  
  
* * *  
  
Dawn had quickly moved next to Sistar, forcing Mulder and Scully to change target and start firing at the Chinese demon.  
  
Balthazor's old buddy was slowly recovering from his eye wound when he felt two ribs breaking. Dawn had kicked the demon hard on the midsection of his body. The demon flew a few feet due to the force of the impact.  
  
Sistar got up without caring about his broken ribs. That little bitch is going to pay. Dawn moved again. She looked tiny next her enemy. In his demon self, Sistar was over six feet tall with a body colored in black and red.  
  
Moltor's second in command blocked the second and third kick and then countered with a powerful blow that hit the Slayer's sister right on the jaw. Everyone was able to hear the bones shattering and the sound of Dawn's body hitting the asphalt.  
  
The demon did not stop there. He threw another fireball to the teenager and managed to hit her on her left hip. The power of Sistar's attacks was not as devastating as Sing's but they were enough to kill any normal human being. Lucky for Dawn, she was anything but normal.  
  
Dawn's hip was numb and so was her left leg. I have to do something or this thing will kill me.  
  
The teenager's attacker was preparing another fireball but Mulder and Scully changed targets once more and emptied their guns in Sistar's body. The demon screamed when he received six burning projectiles, two of them in his head and the other four near his heart. He backpedaled, holding his head until he tripped on a metal beam and fell back on his rear. "Arggh! Damn it! I. I. WILL KILL. arggh.YOU. arggh... WILL SUFFER!"  
  
Dawn was trying to get up but the effort was too great. Everything around her was spinning like crazy and she couldn't stand still. She tried to close her mouth but felt unable to do so. Her chin was broken in at least three parts and the lower jaw had been dislocated from its socket.  
  
The Slayer's sister knew she could not quit. Mulder and Scully would be helpless facing the demon and Cole would not stand a chance against those two enemies. She waited until everything stopped spinning around her and moved to where Sistar was slowly getting up. She was limping badly with her left leg. Trying to end the fight as quick as possible while she still had some strength left, Dawn jumped as high as she could using her good leg to propel herself up. Her right foot was lifted in an arch motion.  
  
Everything seemed to stop for a second. Scully and Mulder saw how the teenager's right foot descended at an incredible speed on the demon's neck, right where his head and top of the spine met.  
  
The kick caught Sistar off guard. He was still on all fours, trying to get up when it hit him. He felt like if his head had exploded into a million stars when his spine broke. After that, he felt nothing. I would take him at least two or three minutes to rebuild the damage. He was an old demon and the older you were, the quicker you would heal.  
  
While Dawn's right foot was busy taking care of Sistar, her bad leg had to withstand the landing. It held her for a second before it could no longer support her weight.  
  
Looking at Cole who was still fighting, the brunette teenager tried to get up and walk to him. I've got to help him But her hip bent to an odd angle and she totally lost her balance. She knew that she had reached her limit. The perforation in her shoulder and hip had not stopped bleeding and the extra effort to knock Sistar out had left her extremely weak. On her knees, she realized that she was not going to be able to stand up anytime soon.  
  
Mulder and Scully ran to where the teenager was. Scully's medical training took over and quickly assessed the girl's injuries. Dawn was losing consciousness fast, while the female doctor tried to stop the bleeding. "We need to take her to a hospital now. She has lost too much blood!"  
  
As soon as she finished those words, they heard a scream. Both ex-FBI agents turned their heads in time to see their demon friend landing against a pile of beams with almost half his torso burned, and a gaping hole on his side.  
  
* * * Balthazor tried to attack Sing after the Chinese had changed into his demonic form, but his energy balls were swatted as if they were mosquitoes. They scorched his skin, but the damage was minimum. He is playing with me! Damn it!  
  
Sing was smiling. "Is that the best you've got? Well, time for me to answer back." Apparently tired of stopping Balthazor's energy balls, the Chinese demon decided to attack. He sent Balthazor one single fireball.  
  
The ex-Source saw the fireball coming. It was too fast to dodge, so he tried to protect himself from it by covering his upper body the way a boxer would in a fight. Unfortunately, that was not enough. The fireball hit his left arm and it went through it like a hot knife through butter. It perforated his left biceps, left side, came out of his back and kept flying until one of the semi-built concrete walls stopped it.  
  
The force of the blow had thrown Balthazor over 10 feet back and into a pile of beams. Sing chuckled at the sight of his fallen enemy. "Damn! I think I overdid it! That's too bad, I wanted to play a little more." He had not fought like this in ages and it seemed that he wanted it to last.  
  
Slowly, the Chinese demon walked to his prey while a fireball was forming on his right hand. "Goodbye, Balthazor!"  
  
Balthazor's weak body morphed back to his human form and a whisper came out of his lips before he lost consciousness. "Phoe...be."  
  
End Chapter 4  
  
~~~~~~ Chapter 5 Whitelighters' City, Tuesday 2:00 AM  
  
Leo was patient. He had been waiting for almost six hours, but he knew that there would be no use complaining. Besides, his superiors met with Whitelighters from all over the world at all times. They would summon him when they were ready to talk to him. He would simply have to wait. Piper would have probably burst that door already, demanding a quick answer to her questions. He chuckled. Meeting with the Elders was the logical thing to do. I hope they can give us more information about this device. His wondering mind stopped abruptly when he felt the 'call'.  
  
As he walked through the city of clouds where the Elders resided and most Whitelighters called home, Leo was thinking about why they have not given him all the information the first time the Elders mentioned the 'magic key'. He could quote every word they said. "Humans call it the 'magic key'." They said humans, but it did not mean that was its real name. I am sure Mulder's deductive thinking is onto something this time.  
  
Leo greeted a few Whitelighters on the way to the Elders' chamber. It did not take him a minute to get there. He reverently removed his hood, uncovering his head and placed one knee on the floor. "I've come to seek your wisdom."  
  
Three young men, almost boys, appeared in front of him, two blonde ones and a brunette. They were dressed with old Romans gowns. One of the blonde ones was fiddling with an ancient looking instrument that resembled a small harp. He was the one that spoke to the Whitelighter. "Speak your mind, child."  
  
It always amazed Leo how these beings treated him like a baby and they looked so young. He knew however that looks were deceiving for they counted time by eons instead of centuries. Mere years were but a blink of an eye for them. "I need to know the real name of the magic key."  
  
The Elder smiled or so it seemed. "We named it 'Foris'1 (Latin: Entrance, Opening),but after the first Slayer was summoned, demons and humans alike started calling it 'Contego Perfringo'2 (To break through the Shield. 'Contego': Latin: Shield. 'Perfringo': Latin: To break through, penetrate, shatter.) to honor its purpose. Now go, my child. They are waiting."  
  
Leo bent his head in acknowledgement and thanked them for their time and information. He turned back and walked away from the altar. Hmm. Contego Perfringo. The name does suit the object's purpose.  
  
Behind him, a fourth being appeared next to the other Elders. "Why haven't I been informed of what is occurring down in Sunnydale?"  
  
The Elder holding the musical instrument faced the new arrival. "There was no need, my dear. You have being assigned quite a few tasks already."  
  
One of the other two Elders spoke with pedantry. "I thought you knew that it is forbidden to interfere with their affairs."  
  
An annoying look was the only response the second Elder received from the newcomer. "Well, duh! Of course I knew that."  
  
The being moved graciously a couple of steps in front of the Elders. "But. that doesn't change anything. I still want to know what's going on in Sunnydale." A tapping sound coming from a right foot clearly stated that this time the issue could not be simply dismissed. "So? I am waiting!"  
  
The three Elders sighed, but only their leader spoke. "Oh, child, you have much to learn and please work on those manners." Shaking his head, the Elder looked at his two other companions. "Very well, let's talk, but not here." After that, the four beings disappeared.  
  
As a Whitelighter, Leo was able to comprehend every language his charges spoke and although none of his charges spoke Latin, it was commonly used among the Elders and Whitelighters. Even old demons still used it as a way of communicating among themselves. He hoped that the information he was now carrying would help them.{LEO! LEO!} The screams he was hearing from his beloved Piper made the hairs on his back stand up. The Whitelighter orbed out and into the human world, wishing what he always wished in situations like this. I hope I make it on time.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Downtown, Magic Shop, Tuesday 1:50 AM  
  
Buffy and the others were getting very impatient. "Where are they? They should have been here over an hour ago. Their patrol route was the shortest!"  
  
Willow was trying to focus on Dawn's essence. "I can't sense her!" The redheaded witch looked really worried. "I can't sense Dawn!" The only two ways she knew this could happen were: one, if Dawn had died, and two, if there was some sort of magic cloaking her friend's inner energy. Either option meant bad news!  
  
After Willow's words, all hell had broken loose inside the shop, and none of them was really sure what to do.  
  
Everyone was standing ready to go or ready to kick someone or something, which ever came first "What do you mean, Willow?" The Slayer had moved next to her best friend, eagerly expecting an answer from her.  
  
Willow swallowed hard. They never lied to each other anymore. Every time they tried to hide something from one another, it always ended up in trouble. "Well. I think that someone is cloaking her with magic, or."  
  
Xander finished the sentence. ".or she's dead!"  
  
Willow simply nodded.  
  
Buffy shook her head. "She can't be dead!" Turning to the powerful sisters, the blonde Slayer begged, "Can you find her, please?"  
  
Phoebe had already stood up and was addressing Giles. "Giles! Can I have a map of the town?" She was carrying a rope with a small weight at the end of it in her left hand.  
  
Giles retrieved from a drawer one of the many maps he had and handed it to the witch "Here you go, Phoebe."  
  
She spread the map on the table and closing her eyes she let the rope circle around it while she mumbled some words. The rope circled and circled but it wasn't stopping anywhere.  
  
The middle witch sighed, "I am sorry, but the magic cloaking them seems to affect the locating spell as well."  
  
"I have an idea!" Paige looked at Phoebe. "Do you have anything that belongs to Cole?"  
  
Phoebe immediately understood what her sister wanted and frantically looked in her purse for a small picture of her and Cole. She closed her eyes and touched Cole's image.  
  
Phoebe felt shivers run up and down her body when the premonition hit her. She was immediately transported to a scene that was taking place inside a big construction site. The witch looked around. The demon that looked like a gorilla was about to throw a fireball to her ex-husband. Cole was on the floor lying on his own blood badly hurt. It looked like if most of his left arm and rib cage were gone.  
  
The witch gasped at the sight of him in that state, and her heart broke when she heard Cole's last words, "Phoe.be."  
  
Dawn was also in a terrible shape. Mulder and Scully where doing the best they could to cover her wounds and stop the bleeding. Phoebe could see another demon slowly rising behind them.  
  
Back at the shop Phoebe's scream scared all those present in the Magic Box. "Oh God! Noooo! COLE! DAWN!" Her sisters rushed to her side to hold her. The premonition was gone, but they could all see how much it had affected the witch. Hot tears where running down her cheeks and her body was shaking uncontrollably.  
  
Piper held both Phoebe's shoulders, and shook her softly "Phoebe, Phoebe, focus please!" Her sister did not respond. Phoebe was still sobbing, the images of her friend and husband torturing her mind.  
  
Piper tried once more "Phoebe, clearly they need our help, but we can't do anything if you do not tell us what you saw!"  
  
The middle witch blinked twice, and then looked at her older sister "We have to hurry! I do not know if this premonition is to occur in a near future, or if it's happening now. What I saw was Cole dying, and Dawn, Mulder and Scully were about to be killed!"  
  
"What!" Buffy's heart started beating faster. She grabbed Phoebe's left arm "Tell me more! Where? Where are they? What else did you see?"  
  
Phoebe looked down for a second. She tried to concentrate on the images she had seen. "It was dark, but it looked like if they were in a big construction area! Does that help?"  
  
All the Scooby gang knew the place. Sunnydale was not a big city, and there was only one place with such characteristics in the south area. Buffy looked at Willow, and the witch nodded immediately understanding what she wanted. The Slayer moved next to her friend, quickly grabbed her right hand, and they both disappeared.  
  
Xander swore when he saw his two friends leave. He looked at the three witches, and seriously threatened, "Don't you dare do the same and leave me behind. I am going!"  
  
Giles stood next to the young man. "I'm coming as well." They quickly moved towards the table where the map laid and showed the Charmed Ones where the construction site was. They all held hands and orbed out of the Magic Box.  
  
~~~~~~ Druscilla's lair. Tuesday Morning 2:00 AM  
  
Carlos hated to be the bearer of bad news. He had been kneeling for almost five minutes now, waiting for his Mistress to acknowledge his presence. He could sense her anger and wished to elsewhere at that moment. Espero que esté de buen humor!1 (I hope she's in a good mood)  
  
Druscilla had seen her minion but she refused to let him in yet. If she could have any affection for something or someone, Carlos was probably the one she was most fond of. The Mexican was loyal and worked hard to keep her happy.  
  
She was waiting for her anger to subside. Miss Edith's last words had fouled her mood greatly. She did not want to take it on her childe for no reason. Besides, I still need them for my plans to succeed!  
  
Thinking about a blonde Slayer bathing in her own blood soothed the insane vampire's mind. Ahh, yes. It will be glorious! "Rise, my child. I know you are being tormented by the knowledge you carry. Tell me what is troubling you."  
  
Carlos swallowed hard. "I sent out five of my best men and only one returned. He speaks of three women, two of them clearly witches! And it seems that they have allied with the Slayer."  
  
Druscilla sighed, "So it's true! Miss Edith told me that The Charmed Ones had arrived. I did not want to listen, and I kept trying to deny her wisdom." The vampire Mistress shook her head. "She's never been wrong, you know?" Looking at her minion, she pointed at the exit. "Leave me!"  
  
The Mexican vampire bent low and walked out the door. He was happy. That went really well!  
  
After Carlos had left Druscilla's chambers, she went to her bed, sat on it and picked up the small coin shaped device lying on the bed table. The vampire Mistress looked at it with annoyance. I hate technology! It has invaded our privacy. It was so easy to hunt then and if trouble arose you simply moved to another hunting area! Yes, simple and fun! She sighed. Life is no fun now. Everything is too complicated for anyone to enjoy it! With a resigned look on her face, Druscilla placed the small communication device on her left ear and spoke out loud, "Moltor, we may have some problems!"  
  
~~~~~~ Moltor's Residence. New York  
  
Moltor hadn't had a night of sleep in over 48 hrs. He had been going about his normal routine, so his fellow demons would not notice anything unusual. The vampires however have a total different working schedule and it was exhausting to deal with both 'worlds'.  
  
When he finally decided to go to bed, he felt on it like a ton of bricks. It wasn't a peaceful sleep however. The demon kept tossing his blankets around while the hours passed by. Down on the floor, a small voice kept calling his name, but Moltor was unable to hear it.  
  
In his dreams, the dreaded Charmed Ones were close on his heels chasing him inside a theater full of people. Everyone had stood up when they came in. They were all cheering and clapping like if it all part of the show. He felt cold sweat running down his forehead. He couldn't see a way out of this one.  
  
They have finally reached the stage and everyone was applauding at his 'costume'. His demonic appearance seemed to be a big hit among the crowd. Looking of a way out, he paid no attention to them. He climbed up the stares and faced a group of young actors and actresses who seemed stunned by his appearance.  
  
Moltor surveyed the place where he was standing. The witches were coming up the stage on his left at that moment, so he headed right where all the real performers were gathered. He had not walked two steps when he had to stop. The actors and actresses changed before his eyes and all of them became a duplicate of a Charmed One.  
  
Everyone on the stage was a clone of his sworn enemies. There were over ten witches in front of him. I knew there was a reason why I didn't like that whole cloning idea.  
  
They were closing in and he started feeling suffocated. The powerful demon walked backwards until he reached the edge of the stage. It seemed that the only way out was through the same place he got in.  
  
Moltor turned around and jumped down to where the audience was. I can make it through them. The witches won't attack me fearing they might hurt their precious innocents. he thought, chuckling.  
  
The demon felt his feet making contact with the floor. He ran towards the aisle when the crowd started moving to block his path. He wasn't going to stop there. Moltor was ready to escape through the audience, by force if needed. Three fireballs were sent to the crowd in front of him, but the projectiles bounced off without harming them.  
  
Too shocked to run and too afraid to attack again, he saw the audience coming out of the shadows. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Their faces! The whole damn audience had morphed into a Charmed One. He screamed as hard as he could.  
  
Moltor was suddenly awakened by the sound of his own scream. He sat up on the bed breathing heavily as sheen of sweat covered his skin. Damn witches. Why don't you leave me alone?  
  
The demon sat on the side of the bed and looked at his watch. 10AM? Hell! I slept for 11 hours! The demon knew by looking at the bed that the nightmare had had a more profound effect on him than he what originally thought. He rarely moved while he slept I wish the Seer was still alive. She could be very handy right about now.  
  
He got up, ready to start his day, took the first step and felt a small rock-like bump under his right foot. Lifting the leg, he looked down. The communication device! I probably dropped it during my sleep.  
  
~~~~~~ Druscilla's Lair Tuesday 2:30AM  
  
"This damn thing doesn't work!" Taking the device out of her ear, Druscilla threw it against a wall. The small gadget broke into pieces when it hit the hard surface. "Someone, call Toy Boy!" One of the two minions that were mounting guard outside her room rushed out to fulfill his Mistress' demands.  
  
The techno wizard showed up a minute later. "Did you call, my lady?" He was obviously distraught by the call and the sight of his Mistress' angry face was not helping. He knew that the problem was with him; otherwise, she would have called the Mexican!  
  
Druscilla's eyes changed to a cat-like yellow color. "I need to get in touch with Moltor, and your 'toy' is not working!" Her frustration was plain to see.  
  
The vampire genius bent down. "I reviewed the monitors less than 10 minutes ago and all the communication devices were broadcasting a strong signal. May I see it, please?"  
  
The vampire Mistress looked at the floor closest to the far right wall. Toy Boy followed her look and winced when he saw his little gadget in tiny broken pieces. "I will bring another one immediately, my lady!"  
  
"NO!" Druscilla's voice bounced against the rock walls. She grinned evilly. "YOU contact Moltor!" Walking to where the broken communicator was, she picked it up. Then she slowly swayed towards her minion. Using the broken piece, the vampires Mistress started caressing the Toy Boy's cheek. "Get me Moltor, or I will have to start breaking your bones instead of your toys!"  
  
Toy Boy sharply nodded. "Certainly, my lady. I will get right on it!"  
  
The minion left in a hurry. He checked over and over again the signals and confirmed that everything was OK. The demon was simply not wearing the device or he was dead. This is not good. Not good at all. I better call Tux, maybe he knows a way to contact this guy.  
  
It wasn't until 9AM when he finally reached the important business demon. "Tux? Druscilla needs to talk to Moltor urgently. I have been trying to contact him, but he is not responding. Do you know how to reach him?"  
  
Tux told him that he would take care of the problem, but he first had an important meeting to attend to.  
  
After a relatively short meeting, the business demon proceeded to call a phone number Moltor had given them in case he was urgently needed. Their leader was very careful about who he gave his phone numbers. "Moltor. There seems to be problems in Sunnydale. The Vamp Lady has been trying to reach you for the last three hours or so."  
  
Moltor's voice could be heard through the hand receiver. "The gadget you gave me fell out of my ear last night." There was a short pause. "Problems, eh? OK, then, let's meet with her. I'll see you in half hour."  
  
Tux nodded needlessly. "OK!" A dial tone resounded in his ear, indicating Moltor had already hung up.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Downtown, South Side, Tuesday 2:00 AM  
  
Buffy and Willow appeared next to Dawn. Buffy quickly surveyed the ground and saw who was in the most eminent of dangers. An ugly short demon was about to blow whatever was left of Cole. He seemed dead already, but the demon in front of him did not think so. A fireball was circling above his right hand.  
  
The Slayer jumped into action. She moved so fast that Willow was barely able to see what she was doing. Sing was lifting his right hand at that moment ready to throw the final blow.  
  
The demon was totally unaware of the Slayer's movement. Two small hands had grabbed his arm and pushed it towards his chest right when he was releasing the fireball.  
  
Any other demon would have been instantly killed. Sing, however, was able to turn his torso barely enough to avoid the full force of his own fireball, but not enough to leave him unscarred. A nasty hole, where the fireball had gone through, appeared on his left side.  
  
The force of the blow threw the demon six feet back. He placed his right hand on the damaged area while his eyes looked at his attacker. "Slayer!" The growl came out with all the venom he could muster. "You are going to die for this."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. and then you are going to rip out my heart and eat it raw. I know the drill!" Buffy as usual was trying to anger her opponent to decrease the effectiveness of his attacks.  
  
Sing got up slowly, never taking his eyes away from his new adversary. He was too good to let his anger take control of his actions.  
  
Without losing sight of her enemy, Buffy glanced at the other fight that was taking place a few feet away and her chest was swollen with pride.  
  
* * *  
  
Willow and Buffy knew that help was on the way and all they needed was to keep the enemies busy and away from Cole and Dawn. The redheaded witch had not stayed still at all. She moved in front of Sistar and extended both hands, her voice loud and clear. "Confectum Abicio Belua"1 (Abicio Belua: Latin : Destroy/Kill and Throw demon away)  
  
Sistar fell like a fly being swatted by a huge hand. "What the f..." If it hadn't been for the construction site fence, he would have ended in the other side of the block. His backbone broke in several parts from the impact and metal bar pierced his torso. He felt on his side unable to move with the bar still coming out of both sides of his body. There was nothing he could really do. His legs wouldn't move until the severed nerves were repaired.  
  
Willow walked towards the fallen villain already mumbling Latin words preparing another spell.  
  
The demon opened his eyes wide when he saw five more figures appear beside the redheaded witch. The Charmed Ones! Sistar blinked out of the construction site, without caring about the pain he was feeling or Sing's well being.  
  
* * *  
  
Buffy and Sing were already trading kicks and punches. Sing had attempted to use his powers a couple of times, but the Slayer was too fast. She kept attacking before he had time to build a fireball.  
  
He was a superb warrior, a master of all ancient fighting arts. Buffy had never faced such formidable opponent. Her enhanced speed and strength were barely enough to stop the demon's attacks.  
  
Her goal was to keep his hands in motion. Letting him use his demonic powers could prove to be too fatal for her liking. I have to get rid of this damn monkey once and for all. Buffy had kept Sing's arms busy, but she had not been able to pass through his guard. The extension of his upper limbs easily prevented her from reaching his head or torso My arms are hurting too much from blocking his attacks! There's got to be a way to pass those long arms.  
  
At that moment, she saw it. Why am I blocking him? True enough, Judo is not my specialty, but it was part of my training. Her Watcher used to say that most common fights ended up in the ground anyway, so learning how to fight on the floor was very important.  
  
The moment that the demon sent his next right punch, Buffy did not block it. Instead she let it pass close to her head while she grabbed the forearm with her left hand. The blonde Slayer then took a quick right step inside the demon's guard placing her body in a perfect position for the 'O Goshi' throw. She slid her right arm around his waist and then dropped her hip, pulling him tightly across her. Then she snapped her waist area by twisting counter-clockwise, never letting go of his right arm.  
  
Sing was obviously familiar with Judo and he tried to stop Buffy with the proper method, which is placing the left hand on her right side hip or lower back to stop her from going inside his guard. He forgot, however, that in his demonic form, he would need to contract his elongated arm to do so. What had been his biggest defense against the Slayer had become his undoing. There was no way he could retrieve his hand and place it on Buffy's back before she stepped inside his guard. He was not only too slow, but the gap between the Slayer and his own body was already too narrow for his long limb to fit in there and execute the defensive move properly.  
  
When the blonde girl pulled his right arm downward and her hip lifted his body, the demon knew there was little he could do. He tried to grab her back, but his body was spinning too fast to do anything anymore. Mentally, Sing prepared for the fall.  
  
A small individual without Buffy's enhanced abilities could very well throw a 200+ lbs opponent using this Japanese Judo technique.  
  
When properly executed on someone that doesn't know how to fall, the throw can easily break bones on the side of the body receiving the impact, most likely in the elbow, hip, or knee areas.  
  
If the person knows how to fall, broken bones may not be an issue. After such blow, however, the air gets pushed out of the lungs so fast that the victim becomes an easy target, and his opponent can use a variety of kick, knee, punch or arm lock techniques to finish the job.  
  
Now, when the person executing the throw happens to be the Slayer, the effect is devastating and the Chinese demon was the living example of that. No matter how much Sing tried to soften the fall, his left side bones shattered when they impacted against a hard block of cement. Even his head received a deep gash on the side.  
  
* * *  
  
The newcomers winced at the sound of broken bones, but that did not stop them from moving into action. After quickly surveying the battlefield, the members of the Scooby Gang ran towards Willow, Dawn and the ex-FBI agents, while the three sisters ran to where Cole was laying.  
  
"LEO, LEO!" Piper's screams were urgent and imperious. The older and younger sister stood up in front of Cole while Phoebe kneeled down next to her beloved. A couple of lonely tears were rolling down her cheeks. "Don't you dare die on me again!" Phoebe's anger tone of voice seemed to have reached the good demon's mind. His eyes fluttered for a second and an almost invisible movement registered on the corners of his lips.  
  
Piper saw what was happening at the Scooby Gang's side. "Paige! Go, go, go! Dawn is hurt!"  
  
Paige rushed to where the Slayer's sister was.  
  
* * *  
  
Amazingly enough, Sing did not lose consciousness. He heard the new voices, but in the haze of his numb brain, he could not recognize any of them.  
  
The Slayer was still holding onto his arm while her foot kicked his right side constantly. "I am" .kick. "really" .Kick. "pissed off" .kick. "and do you know why?" .kick. "You hurt my baby sister!". kick.kick. "so, don't even think about." .kick. "begging for your life" .kick. "because" .kick. "you don't have a life anymore!"  
  
Although the Slayer was not giving the Chinese demon any respite, all he needed was a second of lucidity.  
  
Paige was yelling at Buffy, trying to get her to react. The main goal was to capture the demon, but the Slayer did not seem to hear her calls.  
  
When Giles saw his pupil completely focused on making 'mush' out of the demon, he started calling as well, "Buffy! On the head! Hit him on the HEAD! He is coming out of it! Don't let him get away!"  
  
Although the pain was not subsiding, the demon was starting to think more clearly. The idea of blinking out of this situation was slowly forming in his mind, but before the thought became a concrete order to his whole being, the Slayer hit Sing's right temple with her left heel as hard as she could.  
  
The demon lost consciousness immediately. His left temple caved in and his neck broke from the force of the blow. Buffy let go of his arm and rushed in the direction where her sister was. She forced her way in between Giles and Xander and knelt down, taking Dawn's right hand. Mulder was next to Paige on the left side and Scully had Dawn's head on her lap, while one of her hands checked her pulse.  
  
Willow was standing behind Xander like a hawk searching for a prey. Although the witches' face showed her concern for the brunette teenager, resolution was visible in her eyes. She looked like a warrior at the moment; a dark angel of vengeance ready to destroy anything that would dare threaten the life of her loved ones.  
  
Holding back the tears, the Slayer gently squeezed her sister's hand. I'm sorry, Dawn. I should have been here! "Open your eyes, Dawn! Please, open your eyes!"  
  
The moment Joyce Summers died, Buffy had assumed the role of mother and sister and she had come to love Dawn like a mother would. Taking care of her had given direction to her life in the hardest of moments. If it wasn't for her presence, she might have even taken her own life just to stop the living hell she was going through. Dawn was someone that needed her more than anyone else and to be true to herself Buffy needed Dawn just as much.  
  
All those thoughts were running across the Slayer's mind while a bluish glow was covering Dawn's injured areas as Paige's healing powers worked their magic.  
  
Leo appeared a second after Sing lost consciousness. Paige was already trying to heal the injured teenager, so he rushed to where Cole and the Charmed Ones were.  
  
The Whitelighter stopped suddenly in the middle of his run and looked around. There was a strange magical power hovering in the air, almost a presence that he failed to identify. It's probably a spell or demonic magic. Well, whatever it is, I don't have time to try to find its source now. He put these thoughts aside and ran to where Cole was laying.  
  
The grieving witch moved to allow her brother-in-law to assess her husband's wounds. Leo's eyebrows knitted together at the site of the injuries. "I need Paige to heal him." He placed his hands on top of the demon's injuries. I will try to keep him as stable as possible until Paige gets here.  
  
* * *  
  
The moment the Whitelighter stopped in the middle of his run, a shadow moved deeper inside an unfinished window located on the second floor of the building in construction. He sensed me! That could be a problem!  
  
* * *  
  
The Slayer saw her sister opening her eyes. The brunette's smile was like a cleanser purifying her soul. She hugged her with Slayer strength, never wanting to let her go.  
  
Dawn patted her sister's back. "Mmhh. Buffy. can't breathe."  
  
Buffy loosened her hold and looked at the brunette in her arms. "Don't be a sissy! You can take that and more!"  
  
Both sisters giggled but their happiness died on their lips when they saw what was happening on the other side where the Charmed Ones were. They slowly neared their new friends.  
  
* * *  
  
Like any other of his new powers, Cole's amazing healing abilities would not work unless he was conscious enough to use them. Unfortunately, Sing had left him unconscious and mortally wounded.  
  
The youngest of the Charmed Ones had stood up as soon as she saw Dawn opening her eyes. She had rushed besides the Whitelighter and placed her hands on the still open wounds.  
  
Cole's breathing was not perceptible any more and his pulse was weak. If they have had a monitor there, they would have seen the flat line slowly appearing on the screen.  
  
Phoebe felt how her hand was slowly slipping out of her lover's grasp. "Stay with me, Cole. Do you hear me? Stay with me!"  
  
Leo and Paige looked at each other. The witch shook her head, but the Whitelighter did not seem about to give up yet. He moved to the demon's chest and started CPR. "Don't stop Paige, all we need is a few seconds. Come on Cole! You can do it."  
  
The demon gasped before he lost consciousness again, but this time there was a pulse; it was weak but a pulse nonetheless. Leo stopped the CPR and placed his hands again next to Paige's. The injuries began to close and Cole's beating heart became stronger. Ten seconds later, the wounds have disappeared completely. The shredded pieces lying by his side, remnants of his burned and torn shirt were the only reminders of what could have been his second death.  
  
At first he was disoriented, but the smell of Phoebe's shampoo quickly brought him back to the land of the living. He inhaled deeply and relished at the warmth of Phoebe's body against his. Oh God, how I missed that smell. He opened his eyes to see his wife's teary eyes contrasting with her happy smile. "I thought I would never see you again."  
  
Phoebe's happy yelp was chorused with sighs of relief coming from the entire group. She hugged him as hard as she could; tears of joy and giggles were accompanying her effusive display.  
  
The good demon suddenly jerked upwards. "SING! Where is he?" Looking at the Chinese demon's body, Cole quickly got up. "The stones! Where are the magic stones? We can't let him recover." Cole built two energy balls and hurled them to the fallen demon. A cold, almost evil, smile appeared on his face when he saw the demon's body bounce a few feet back and onto the street.  
  
Phoebe showed concern and some fear at the look of satisfaction displayed on her lover's face when he was attacking.  
  
Piper and Paige too shared a look of distraught, but the older sister put her worries aside for the moment. "Paige, Cole is right! Let's orb out of here! Leo, bring the demon with you."  
  
Everyone stood up. The Charmed Ones orbed first. Willow held hands with the rest of the Scooby Gang and they too disappeared.  
  
Cole and Leo walked to where Sing was laying. The demon shot another energy ball on his enemy's back. "Just in case. You can never be too careful."  
  
Leo did not say a word. He picked up the Chinese demon's left hand and orbed out of the construction site.  
  
I know they do not understand my behavior, but we can't show mercy to those demons. The ex-Source shrugged before fading away. He knew that in situations like this, he was the only one that had the guts to do what it took.  
  
Behind one of the support pillars of the construction site, a set of perfect teeth shone when the hidden figure smiled. A second later, the entity was gone as well.  
  
~~~~~~ Druscilla's Lair, Tuesday 10:45 AM  
  
Moltor appeared inside the vampire Mistress' chambers.  
  
Druscilla was still in bed. Like Moltor, she had had only a few hours of sleep in the past three days. The demon neared the bed and looked at her almost sweetly. Then he just pulled at the sheets hard while he commanded. "Get up!"  
  
Druscilla looked at the demon with dreamy eyes. The darkness in the room and the similarity in black outfits tricked the mad woman's mind. "Angelus? .Daddy? .Are you finally coming back to me?"  
  
Moltor chuckled. "How hilarious that a demon was named Angelus. Sorry, dear, but I am not your Angelus!" He then changed his sweet tone to harsh one. "Now, get the fuck up and tell me what's so important!"  
  
Without caring about her nudity, the Druscilla got up and slowly walked to a coat hanger. She then put her lingerie on and a negligee on top of it. Walking to the other side of the bed and shaking the small figure on the pillow, she softly called, "Miss Edith! Miss Edith! Wake up! Moltor is here! He wants you to repeat what you told me."  
  
Turning to Moltor, Druscilla shrugged. "She doesn't want to speak to you now. She says you are rude!"  
  
Annoyed, the demon rolled his eyes. A fireball appeared over his right hand. "Well, of course I am rude, and I am very proud of that, so you better tell me what you know before I send 'Miss Edith' to meet her Maker."  
  
Druscilla growled in anger, but when she saw Moltor's smile growing wider, she made an effort to control it. She was crazy, but not stupid! "The Charmed Ones are here." She paid close attention to the demon's reactions. ".and they appear to have joined forces with the Slayer."  
  
The demon blanched and hit the table next to him with his fist. "Damn witches. I will kill them all. They will die a slow death!" He started pacing back and forth. "This could be a serious inconvenience." He paused for a second before resuming his pacing again. "Alright, we are about sixty- five against what?. five? Seven, including the humans?"  
  
"More like sixty. We lost four at the hands of the witches last night," Druscilla corrected.  
  
"Well, each of my demonic friends are worth ten of your minions," Moltor sounded cocky, but the truth was that he was indeed confident in the power he has gathered so far.  
  
Druscilla's smile grew, but she tried not to let the demon notice. She picked up Miss Edith and hugged her hard. "Oh! I almost forget. Miss Edith says that your beloved female lady is not coming back." She giggled softly. "Bad girl, Miss Edith! Moltor will be angry if he hears you!"  
  
Moltor was already fuming. "Spill it, bitch!"  
  
Druscilla came closer to the demon with a repentant childish look on her face. "Please do not be angry at her. Sometimes, she says things she doesn't mean!"  
  
Moltor grabbed the female vampire by her shoulders and, with a powerful thrust, sent her flying against the nearest wall. "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR GAMES!" The demon walked a couple of steps towards the fallen vampire. "You either talk, or I will rip your head off right now. Your choice!"  
  
Druscilla, game face on, touched the back of her head. Her hand came out stained with blood. She started licking her fingers and part of her hand. "Mmm. big demon likes it rough! I like it rough too!" Moltor took two more steps towards her. "Miss Edith said that you were bragging about your group of powerful demons and your girl couldn't even beat the Slayer's sister." Druscilla was giggling again.  
  
Moltor kicked the vampires Mistress on the head, leaving her unconscious. "Oh, SHUT UP!" He then pushed the tiny button in the middle of the coin- like device located in his left ear. "Tux, where the HELL are you?"  
  
Not far from there, the demon replied, "I am in the lab. Do you need me?"  
  
"Not yet. Gather the group. I want everyone here in half hour." Without another word, Moltor disconnected the link.  
  
Druscilla was coming around. She got up slowly and leaned against the wall. She could see that the demon was going through a rough time right now. Who is sweating bullets now?  
  
The leader of the demonic group turned to the vampire Mistress, his distress plain to see. "We are meeting in 30 minutes. I want the Mexican vampire in the meeting as well. I need him to help me with a special errand."  
  
* * *  
  
Half an hour later, a small chamber was chosen for the meeting. Druscilla, Carlos and Toyboy on one side of the table, Tux and Bolo on the other side. Moltor sat at the head of the table.  
  
Looking at Tux and Toyboy, the head of the demon's gang growled. "Where are Sistar and Sing?"  
  
Toyboy was very nervous. He thought that they were dead, but he was not going to tell that to Moltor. Instead, he looked at his partner for support.  
  
Tux rolled his eyes. "We think they did not make it. We monitored their mission until they attacked Balthazor and company. No other names were said and everything seemed to be going fine until we heard Sing mentioning the Slayer and Sistar swearing. That's the last we heard from them."  
  
Moltor was fuming. He hit the table with such force that its top side broke in several parts. The table legs crumbled to the floor from the force of the impact. "That's NOT POSSIBLE!" The angry demon stood up. "Balthazor and the Slayer are no match for Sing, maybe against Sistar, but never against Sing." He paced back and forth for a few seconds and then stopped again. "The Charmed Ones must have helped them!"  
  
Tux did not seem very pleased with the way their plans were going. "What are we going to do, Moltor?"  
  
Their leader smiled. "We stop sending them appetizers! No more underestimating their strength. It is time for the main course!" He then looked at Tux. "I need you to plan an attack. Find the best place, their weaknesses, everything that could help us! I want no mistakes! Tomorrow morning, we go over the plan, so everyone can be ready by Thursday."  
  
The group stood up, but as they were leaving, Moltor called the Mexican vampire. "Carlos. I have an assignment for you!"  
  
~~~~~~ Manchester, England, Wednesday, 1AM  
  
In a big ballroom, a group of about 30 men and women were having an emergency meeting.  
  
"We must warn the Slayer!" The man speaking was standing. His voice quivered and his face showed the fear he was feeling. "She doesn't know what she's up against this time."  
  
Loud murmurs of approval gave the man some courage to continue. "If we fail her this time, we are no better than her enemies. She has battled the forces of evil for far too long and without our help." The man paused and looked around trying to make as much eye contact as possible. "I joined the Watchers' Council because of its ideals. Those ideals called to me, they gave me a reason to go on living in this land after discovering what lurks in the dark! I refuse to stand here with my arms crossed this time!"  
  
Quentin Travers, head of the Watcher's Council, stood up. "Nor will I. Unfortunately, we still know far too little to be of any help. So, in the meantime, gentlemen, I ask you to wait a bit longer. If we do not have any information by tomorrow night, we will go to the Hellmouth to help the Slayer." He then started walking down the stairs. "Now, everyone, go home. We will meet tomorrow at the same time."  
  
The members of the council seemed to be satisfied with their leader's words whose smile reflected how much it pleased him to be back in control of the situation.  
  
As soon as the room was emptied, a dark figure step out from behind a big curtain. "I thought those morons would never leave!" He stood next to his ally. "So, how is everything coming along? Did you get them?"  
  
"I have the Standard and the Scepter but it won't be long until they notice their disappearance." The council member turned around to see his accomplice. "We only have 24 hours to complete our plans. The more we kill, the easier our job will become. Just keep in mind that those 'morons' like you like to call them have been all trained to fight. You mustn't underestimate any one of them." He then turned his back on the black figure. "Now go. You will have your reward once you have killed at least half of them. Start with the members of my family. They are the most dangerous!"  
  
"I will take care of them personally!" The dark figured walked out of the room. And they call me a lunatic! Go figure.  
  
Sitting on the main table, invisible to the human eye, an entity listened to everything the two fiends had said. After the dark figure exited, the entity too vanished from the place to appear outside the building.  
  
The man in black flipped open his cell phone. "It is hunting time! You have 24 hours!" The closing sound of his small Motorola resounded along the empty sidewalk. Sigh, I will have to get my hands dirty as well. Oh, what the hell, the guy pays well! One million per head and some demonic powers, not to mention eternal life! I too would kill my family for that! Well, that is if I had any. Chuckling, the figure walked down the sidewalk.  
  
A pair of angry eyes followed the figured until it was swallowed by the shadows. "You son of a ." The entity vanished and appeared inside the Whitelighter's city temple.  
  
Four beings were currently talking to one of their angels when the newcomer interrupted. "Why didn't you tell me that Moltor wasn't the only threat?" The anger in the new arrival's voice was clear to all those present.  
  
The leader looked at the Whitelighter. "You are dismissed. We will call you later." Then, looking at his angry apprentice, he pointed to a small bench. "Please, child, take a seat and calm down."  
  
"Calm down? Calm down? How can you ask me to calm down? What would you do if your family was in danger and your best friends were hiding it from you? You are my only friends here! To me.THEY are family! How can I trust you if you keep lying to me? So, don't give me the calm down crap! I did not ask for this position. You were the ones that offered me this job, and if you are all-knowing like people say you are, then you should know that my attitude comes with the package, so don't ask me to calm down!"  
  
A female Elder looked at the rest of those present. They all nodded when each of them heard her voice clearly in their heads. I told you all it was not a good idea! Then, looking at the young angry Elder, she smiled. "Are you done, my child?"  
  
"Done? You WISH! I am just warming up!" However, no more yelling or angry remarks were heard. Instead the young Elder breathed deeply. All those present were pleased to see how the angry face slowly relaxed.  
  
After such formidable feat, the newcomer slowly neared the group with a totally different attitude. Then, a surprisingly calmed inquiring voice was heard. "Do we have a priest, counselor or maybe a psychiatrist that we Elders can talk to?"  
  
The four Elders were shocked. The question was something they never expected. The same lady addressed the newcomer. "No, child, why?"  
  
"Well, if I don't have anyone to turn to, then I guess it is up to you. right? RIGHT!" Increasing the volume to a loud tone and displaying again an angry face, the apprentice started a tirade. "I am making an effort here not to interfere, so the least you can do is listen to me while I vent my anger." Pacing back and forth, she continued. "It supposes to be good for one's soul and mind! Well. My soul is a turmoil now and my mind is clearly NOT working clearly." A short pause. ".and what's with these things we have to wear? I spent my life watching what I ate, so I could dress with style and now look at me! I am wearing a sheet around me and only my ankles and arms are visible!" A sigh of frustration was heard inside the room. "I mean. The Roman look is dead! We are in the twenty-first century, for God's sake!" Another short pause. "Anyway, that's not why I am here." Looking back at the one that seemed to be the leader of the group, she added, "Still. make a note that I hate these gowns!" Pacing back and forth, the youngest Elder continued, "No interference! Who in his sane mind."  
  
All those present sighed while their apprentice went on and on talking about how incredibly stupid the 'no interference' rule was and how easily goodness could defeat evil if they only decided to get their hands a little dirty and started doing some old fashion demon ass-kicking for a change.  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale Downtown, Magic Shop, Wednesday 3AM.  
  
Giles was addressing the group. "I think that's enough! The demon is not going to say a word! We should just get rid of him. Besides, we now know more about the Key than we did before. With Leo's information, we were finally able to find some poems about the Key and we are currently working on their translation. It is fascinating! Quite an amazing demonic object indeed. See, the first verse says."  
  
Buffy interrupted her Watcher. "Giles!"  
  
Giles looked at her, surprised at the interruption. "Yes, Buffy?"  
  
The Slayer rolled her eyes and pointed at the closed door of the training room. "Big ugly demon encaged! Remember?"  
  
Giles' face contracted in embarrassment. "Yes. of course. sorry about that." He pulled out his glasses and started cleaning them.  
  
Scully giggled and Mulder looked amused, yet Buffy simply shrugged. "He does that all the time. Just get him started on something demonic and. you'll see!"  
  
Scully's smile widened. "Sounds like a playground for Mulder."  
  
Her partner nodded. "Yes, it does."  
  
Buffy turned to Cole. "What do you think? Time to say goodbye to our friend in there?"  
  
Everyone looked at Cole who simply nodded. "Yeah, Giles is right. My threats are of no use with this guy and even if I did torture him, I think he would rather die than talk. Sing is from old China so his code of honor is not something he is going to break that easily, even if he is a demon."  
  
Parisa had believed that The Charmed Ones were unable to torture her and they had played along but with Sing, the facade was dropped. Paige had tortured a Darklighter before to get information and her sisters had not minded. This time, the three powerful witches used all the potions they knew that could cause pain on the demon but he had remained unfazed. Sing would not talk.  
  
"Well then. vanquish time!" Paige got up and her two sisters did the same. They got into the training room where they kept Sing captive inside the three magical stones.  
  
Dawn and Willow had been watching the demon while the rest of the group talked. Piper was the first to enter. She neared the three stones and waited for her two sisters to stand by her side. Giles, Buffy, Mulder, Scully, Leo and Cole entered as well.  
  
Xander spoke from the entrance. "Ahem. I have to go to the bathroom." He quickly exited the room.  
  
"I think I am not needed here anymore. I will keep translating." Willow too exited in a hurry.  
  
Dawn seemed unsure of what to do, but finally she decided to stay.  
  
Mulder, Scully, Giles and Buffy remained inside. Giles was hiding his agitation by continuing to clean his glasses. Scully held Mulder's right arm while he tried to look brave. The only one outside the Charmed Ones' group that looked determined was the Slayer. She hated these new demons. They almost got her sister killed and she would not rest until she got rid of them. "Hey, can't you guys add a 'quiet' spell together with the vanquishing spell? That should help with the screaming part. right?"  
  
Paige giggled while the rest rolled their eyes. Giles admonished, "I believe this is not a good time for jokes, Buffy."  
  
Buffy looked at her Watcher. "What? I always have a witty line for moments like this. Don't I?"  
  
This time even Giles had to hide a smile. "Well... yes. I believe you do."  
  
The three sisters started. Piper threw a bottle at Sing's feet. The potion created with the demon's flesh was released when the small bottle broke. A thin cloud of smoke rose inside the pyramid-like jail that was created by the three stones. The Charmed Ones recited the vanquishing spell:  
  
"You'll never be free Demon from below By the Power of Three You exist no more."  
  
In less than 10 seconds, the fire consumed the powerful Chinese demon and although his face clearly showed the pain he must had been going through, those present heard no screams. A few grunts were all the demon let slip before he became a scorched area on the floor of the training room.  
  
"That was one brave son of a bitch." Cole looked impressed. "Sorry about my French!" He knew how it felt to be vanquished, and he too had screamed to the top of his lungs when that had happened.  
  
They walked out of the room and into the Magic Box area. Mulder looked at the tired faces of his friends. "We should all get some rest. It's been a long day."  
  
They all agreed, but nobody wanted to leave. It was too dangerous to divide forces at the moment. After a few minutes, they concluded that it was best to stay and sleep in the training area, which had plenty of space for all of them.  
  
Piper looked at the wide room in front of her. "Now, the issue is to get enough mattresses for all of us."  
  
"Your wish is my command!" Willow waved her hand, while whispering some Latin words and the 300 square feet of training area was covered with a foamy mat.  
  
The redheaded witch giggled when she heard Paige's awed remark. "I've got to learn Latin!"  
  
Dawn grinned, "Can you leave the mat here, Will? My ass and back would really appreciate it. You know. Buffy has this.twisted notion that cleaning floors can only be done by using my poor body as a mop."  
  
The Slayer came to her sister and placed her right arm around the teenager's shoulders. "Hey! Think about the time when you will be the one mopping the floor with my buns."  
  
An expression of total satisfaction appeared on Dawn's face. "That sounds like heaven!"  
  
Dawn's words were accompanied by her friends' chuckles and giggles.  
  
After the laughs subsided, they all started looking for a spot to settle in. Anya was the only one missing. She had left right after closing time and headed to her apartment. She still felt awkward when trying to interact with Xander and so did he for that matter.  
  
Peaceful snores were soon heard all over the room. Buffy smiled when she heard them. I better get some sleep as well! Turning to her side, the Slayer dozed off.  
  
End of Chapter 5  
  
~~~~~~ Chapter 6 Sunnydale, Downtown Museum, Wednesday 3AM.  
  
"Come on, Martin, let's go make the rounds. I am so glad this is the last one. I am beat!"  
  
The guard called Martin got up from the desk and followed his partner. "Yeah, me too."  
  
They hadn't walked twenty feet when a shadow felt on top of them. A few seconds later, the screams coming out of the two guards finally subsided.  
  
The figure got up slowly. His lips, chin and neck shone when a bit of light hit his features. Carlos licked his lips and then pulling a handkerchief out, he wiped clean his neck and chin. "Mmmm, I didn't know how much I was missing a fresh dinner!" Now back to work.  
  
The Mexican went through the halls and into the XVI Century Armory room. He placed himself in front of a big body armor holding, on its right hand, an impressive lance. The vampire took out a picture to make sure. "This is it! Sorry pal, but we need it more than you do." Carelessly, he pulled the long weapon out of the armor's hand and started walking towards the exit. Some fun and good dinner. My kind of night!  
  
Carlos was able to walk through the front door without calling anyone's attention. No alarms! Piece of cake! Moltor will be pleased. The vampire chuckled.  
  
~~~~~~ New York Suburbs, Wednesday, 8AM  
  
"You are lucky to be alive." A tall black man who appeared to be in his 50's, maybe older due to the his old dirty clothes, was checking on Sistar's wounds.  
  
"What time is it?" Sistar looked pale and weak.  
  
The demon treating his wounds started filling a glass of water. "You were comatose for 20 hours and delirious for about five."  
  
"WHAT? Arrghhh!" Sistar tried to get up but the whole room started spinning. He held his head on both hands.  
  
"You shouldn't try to get up. Can't you see that you are not totally recovered?" The demon doctor handed the refreshing liquid to his patient who swallowed it eagerly in a couple of gulps.  
  
"That's an understatement! My torso feels on fire and the mother of all headaches just came to pay me a visit." Sistar lay back with a groan. "What's wrong with me?"  
  
The demon doctor shook his head. "Besides the obvious, quite a few wounds and broken spine, I still don't understand why it is taking your body so long to recover."  
  
Sistar tried to recall. "The magic. it felt like. if I had an animal eating me from inside, burning my guts. I kept feeling it until I couldn't take it anymore. I think I lost consciousness soon after. I remember running away, but the rest are just fussy images and a lot of pain!" Talking had left Sistar breathing hard. Burning Hell! I feel like an old man who just had a heart surgery.  
  
The doctor smiled. "Well, nevertheless, you should feel lucky. All the demons that had dared go up against the Charmed Ones got their assess kicked. I believe you are the first to survive one of their attacks."  
  
"I did not fight the Charmed Ones!" Sistar sounded very upset "I blinked out of there before I had to face them."  
  
The old man's eyebrows went up a notch. He then smiled. "I assumed this was the work of the Charmed Ones since you kept mumbling their names when your were 'napping'."  
  
Sistar seemed kind of embarrassed. "Well. it wasn't them."  
  
The older demon took another look at the wounds. "Who else could possibly have so much magical power to cause the great Sistar such damage?" The condescending way of talking did not escape Sistar's ears.  
  
"Cut the 'I told you so' crap, Father! I had the right to be proud of my powers. Those who have opposed me are dead and few can hold a battle against me." Fully conscious now, Sistar was feeling his strength rapidly coming back. Soon, soon you will be dead witch!  
  
Slapping his son on the face, the old doctor yelled, "You are a fool!" He then turned his back and walked to a nearby chair but never sat down. "Being proud of ones powers and being overconfident are two different things. I've lost track of how many times I have told you that there are beings far more powerful than you, and you should never underestimate an enemy, no matter how insignificant it looks."  
  
Sistar grumbled. "I know, I am not a child anymore."  
  
"Then, STOP ACTING LIKE ONE!" The old man was very angry. Sistar knew that not even at his best, he could defeat his father, and although he hated the old bastard's guts, he respected his power. "Who did this to you then?"  
  
"It was a witch! The Slayer's best friend." The phrase sounded more like a growl than an answer.  
  
"So, one very powerful witch, the Slayer and you also mentioned the Charmed Ones appearing at the scene as well! Are you out of your fucking mind?" Finding the whole idea very funny, the old demon decided to finally sit down. "I thought you were foolish on your decisions, but I can see you are just plain stupid!" Relaxing back on the chair, he finished. "So, dumb ass, what in hell have you gotten yourself into this time? I've got to hear this one," he said, chuckling.  
  
"Can. you. stop. calling me names?" Sistar was muttering the words, trying as hard as he could to control his anger.  
  
"What are you going to do about it? Kill me? Shut up before I get tired of you and kill you myself!" The old demon picked up a pipe and started filling it with tobacco. "I am waiting and you should recall that I am not very patient! Hope you did not lose your memory the same way you've lost your mind."  
  
1 son of a bitch, 2 bastard, 3 asshole, 4 jerk, 5 moron, 6 . Sistar did not have time to finish his original way of counting to ten. A book that a second before was laying on the small table next to his father's chair was suddenly flying towards his head.  
  
After magically throwing the book at his son, the older demon looked royally pissed. "I SAID I AM WAITING! Are you deaf too? HELL! Moron and deaf! A son to be proud of!"  
  
Sistar was barely able to control his anger, yet he did not want to take any chances. He wanted his shot at the redheaded witch and going against his father was a sure way to lose such opportunity "Are you aware of what is going on in the underworld these days. Father?"  
  
"And I thought this was going to be an interesting story." The old man looked bored. "Yes, I know! It is the same shit that happens every time the Source dies. A few jerks start playing politics killing everyone that oppose them. What's the big deal? You know I hate politics!"  
  
"Moltor wants to be the new Source, and I am helping him. We've joined forces with a vampire queen and with her forces and a few demons, we are going to take over the underworld." Sistar's anger quickly disappeared at the mentioning of their plans. He sounded excited by the whole idea.  
  
The old demon opened his eyes wide. "Vampires? That means you are trying to open the Hellmouth to get them inside!" This time he was laughing. "No wonder you are finding so much resistance. The Hellmouth is one of the most protected entrances to the underworld." He stood up. "Good luck Sistar, you will need it." Walking away, he laughed again.  
  
Sistar's wounds were almost healed. Am I being stupid here? Is the risk too great? Well, so is the price! Oh, hell, you only live once!  
  
~~~~~~ London, The Old Way tavern, private room, Wednesday 8AM  
  
"Well, my friend, that adds up to 20 victims. Hmmm. 23 if we count mine, but I already got paid for those." The man in black was talking to the leader of a small group of six. He then opened two big silver plated briefcases and turned them so they would face his audience. "Here you go: 20 million. One per head as promised."  
  
The gang leader pulled one of the briefcases closer and picked up a thick pile of money. "Call the Order if you need us again. Boys! Time to go!" The group stood up and walked out the door. They were all very different individuals. Four of them were clearly demons while the other two had human features.  
  
The man in black wondered if those two were humans, demons in their human form or demons wearing a human costume. Hell! Who cares? As long as they are vicious killers. Picking up a drink that had remained untouched on the table, he sipped it and sighed contently. "Aaahh, life is good!"  
  
~~~~~~ Sunnydale, Druscilla's lair, Wednesday 10AM  
  
Moltor was talking to Sistar. He was so surprised to see his lieutenant again that he almost killed him thinking it was a trick from the witches. Sistar explained why he had been unable to return anytime sooner.  
  
Moltor's anger had slowly escalated as the news started pouring. First the Charmed Ones presence was confirmed, then the fight with the Slayer's sister, the amazing powers of the redheaded witch, the fight between Cole and Sing and the inevitable death of the Chinese demon.  
  
Moltor did not kid himself. He had already considered both Sing and Sistar dead. Sistar's return was miraculous, and he had no hopes for another miracle happening anytime soon. The Chinese Demon was dead. The head of the demonic gang sighed. This is certainly not the way I expected things to go. I must get the Charmed Ones and the Slayer out of my way for my plan to succeed.  
  
Sistar was already up to date on the new plans. He thought it would be risky to attack when all their enemies were together. They were powerful, and their strength was based on unity, not quantity.  
  
Moltor appeased his fears. "It doesn't matter how powerful they are. There is nothing they can do against our army. The odds are against them seven to one and that's including the humans."  
  
Sistar looked pensive for a second. "That's what we should do Moltor. We should first focus on the humans! We should try to kill them all as soon as we confront the group. That will surely affect their concentration. Maybe we can capture one or two if things get too rough! You know. as insurance."  
  
The head of the demonic gang laughed out loud. He slapped his follower's back. "Great idea, Sistar! I should've thought of that!" This is going to be fun! "Talk to Tux and help him plan the attack." He slowly started walking towards the vampire Mistress' bedroom. "Try to get some sleep while the vampires are resting. We will explain our plans to everyone tonight and tomorrow night." A short pause. ".the Hellmouth will finally be unprotected!" Laughing out loud, Moltor disappeared inside Druscilla's bedroom.  
  
Sistar nodded and blinked out of the cave.  
  
~~~~~~ Magic Box Wednesday, 8PM.  
  
Everyone was heading to the training area. Anya was still behind the counter. She had spent the whole day working there while everyone slept.  
  
They got up around 4PM, showered, ordered some pizza. Now, it was time to start planning the patrolling rounds.  
  
Giles called Anya, but she refused to close so early. "This is a magic shop, Giles. Our customers usually practice their spells at night. We sell more during the nighttime than during the day. Only last night we made." She then looked around at some of the faces of her friends. Her face turned suspicious. "Well, we made a good profit! And I believe we should work harder if we want to become millionaires some day!"  
  
Everyone rolled their eyes and resumed their walk to the back room.  
  
* * *  
  
Sunnydale Downtown. Magic Box. Thursday, 3AM.  
  
"This is ridiculous. Not one lousy vampire." Buffy was frustrated. They were less than 48 hrs away from Armageddon, tension rising and not a damned demon to release the stress with. "Say, Dawn, wanna go train?"  
  
The younger Summers bolted right up. "Thought you'd never ask!"  
  
Both sisters moved into the training area with a springy walk. Their fists were opening and closing already; their shoulders moved vertically in a circular motion trying to loosen up the tension accumulated on their backs. They were both so eager to start fighting that instead of sisters, they looked like two old enemies ready to tear each other apart.  
  
Everyone followed. They wanted to see the two girls in action, particularly Giles. He has been training Dawn hard for the past months, but he was yet to see a sparring match between the two sisters. They only had one so far, and he was away when it happened. However, from what Willow told him, it seemed that he missed something quite impressive. Well, time to see it for myself!  
  
Dawn was very happy with the new mat. She jumped up and down on it "The hard slaps against the floor were the only part I dislike about our last match. This is going to be fun!"  
  
The Slayer smiled, then she placed her arms on her side and bent her upper body slightly. Dawn responded to the salute in the same manner.  
  
"Ready?" The teenager looked at her sister's eyes. She is so focused already. How does she do that? I am so full of adrenaline that it is hard for me to concentrate! I need to gain control over my body. Control, control. She remembered Buffy's words {Dawn you are amazing! Imagine what you could do if you could concentrate and properly focus all that energy.} Control, control. Dawn whispered the word like a mantra as she slowly breathed in and out. She felt how her body started reacting to the command. Her blood stopped running like crazy, her breathing slowed down and her mind became sharper than ever. It seems to be working.  
  
The Slayer immediately noticed the change in her sister's attitude. She is more relaxed and focused. Good for you, Dawn. A small smile appeared on her lips while she approved with a nod of her head.  
  
Giles too had noticed the change in his new student. My, my, this is proving to be quite interesting right from the start!  
  
"Ready!" The Slayer had not finished saying the word, when her body was already in motion.  
  
From that point on, the two combatants extremities were blurs to their friends. "My God, they are fast!" Mulder was so impressed that his lower jaw was hanging open. Scully pushed it back up. "Don't let the flies in, dear."  
  
On the mat something was about to happen, something nobody expected, not even Giles. The two warriors started in what to them was a normal pace. They were both able to see their attacks coming and going. None of them had any advantage over the other.  
  
Suddenly, Dawn started pushing Buffy backwards. The younger sister was slowly increasing the speed of her attacks to a point that her hands were starting to look fuzzy to Buffy. This is not possible! I can barely follow her hands. She is so going to beat the crap out of me if she can keep this rhythm up.  
  
Dawn, on the other hand, was so focused on the attack that she did not noticed what was happening to her body. She kept throwing jabs, hooks, uppercuts combined with mostly low kicks. Buffy had told her that the great Bruce Lee always advised to kick as high as possible while training, but low when you were fighting. That way, your kicks would be much faster, hence more powerful!  
  
Buffy was using her peripheral eyesight to keep tabs on Dawn's shoulders and arms. Her sister's hands were no longer something she was able to follow. Her Slayer abilities were pushed to the limit, but that wasn't enough. Dawn's speed was finally able to break her defenses. A strong punch hit her on the upper side of her right breast. Buffy felt like if her arm had been ripped apart from her body. She literally flew six feet in the air before falling down on her back.  
  
The audience of this incredible match looked concerned. Her medical training taking over, Scully stood up from the mat ready to assist, but Mulder kept her in place.  
  
Dawn, however, did not stop. She knew she had hit her sister hard, but she also knew that Buffy could take that and more. It was her chance to finally beat her older sister! The teenager jumped high and, squatting in the air, she let her body fall against her sister.  
  
The knee attack was meant to force Buffy's air out of her lungs, but Dawn's knees did not reach their target.  
  
Buffy rolled sideways and sent a kick to Dawn's back as soon as the teenager touched the mat. Dawn was propelled against the wall, but she was able to stop herself with both palms. She quickly turned around expecting another attack, but her sister was standing 10 feet away rubbing the sore spot that had received Dawn's amazing punch.  
  
The Slayer smiled, and nodded again. "Very good, Dawn. Keep it up! .If you can!"  
  
The challenge was not missed by anyone. The younger Summers smiled back. "I will!" She attacked.  
  
Buffy's smile faded away from her face. Her features were hard as stone as she concentrated on the upcoming attack. She let her Slayer instincts take over. Now not only Dawn's hands were a blur, but also her arms were starting to look like the blades of a fan so fast they were moving. At that moment, Buffy was sure she was going to lose, but then something happened. She started clearly hearing a drum-like sound beating hard on her ears. What the hell! First the Slayer looked scared, but then she realized that it was her own heartbeat. God! What's going on? At that point, everything started slowing down. She could see Dawn's fists and legs moving in slow motion. They were so easy to block or even avoid. This is weird!.  
  
The younger Summers was unaware of what was happening to her sister. She tried to sweep Buffy's left leg, but the Slayer lifted it. Without setting her foot back on the floor, Dawn threw a side kick towards her sister's stomach area, but Buffy bent her upper torso sideways and moved slightly back. Dawn's foot passed harmlessly.  
  
The teenager had not finished the attack yet. Something else that her martial arts teachers had taught her was that every attack must be a sequence, not just one punch or one kick but a combination made of several punches or kicks or preferably both. Her leg was still in the air on a side kick position, when it was fired up to Buffy's head.  
  
The Slayer bent her body backwards even further to let Dawn's leg continue its trajectory towards the ceiling.  
  
Dawn's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Something was not right. Maybe once or twice in a fight Buffy had been able to avoid her attacks without using her arms or legs to block, but never a combination of three kicks and certainly never with such ease.  
  
The teenager decided to test her sister. She attacked as fast as she could, threw two jabs, a low kick to the knee, a hook, another kick to the stomach, an uppercut, an elbow and a side kick, yet her sister blocked or avoided them all flawlessly and without effort.  
  
The test gave the teenager the answer she was looking for. Just what I thought! I was unable to see Buffy's moves. Her arms and legs simply appeared out of nowhere ready to protect her body from my attacks! What the hell is going on here? She is no longer having any problems stopping my attacks. In fact it is like if she was not even making any effort to block them! Dawn wasn't sure what to expect anymore. Something just happened to her, but what? Sigh! Well, whatever it is, I am in deep shit now!  
  
Even though Buffy was only defending herself, Dawn knew that she would attack soon and something told her that there was no way she would be able to stop this new and improved Slayer. I am glad Willow left the mat here. It seems that I am going to need it.  
  
Buffy had already tested her new abilities by defending herself from her sister's attacks. Well, time to stop defending and start attacking! She moved at lighting speed to Dawn's side. The teenager countered with a side kick that was blocked by the Slayer. The young brunette followed with a side punch that Buffy avoided by crouching and letting it fly above her head. Without missing a beat, the Slayer took one quick step inside her sister's guard. Still crouching, she sent a punch to Dawn's inner thighs in order to cut the blood flow in both major arteries. Then Buffy's fists were propelled forward five consecutive times while she moved up to a standing position. She aimed for the most sensitive areas available to her at the moment, two hooks to the floating ribs, a straight jab to the midriff area, Wing Chun thrusting fingers to the throat and an open palm to the nose. Each of the first three punches was enough to knock an opponent down and the last two were clearly lethal. For a millisecond, the brunette teenager thought that she was not going to survive the attack but then she realized that her sister was holding back. Dawn felt the air hitting her epidermis, but she did not feel the actual impact. Buffy stopped all her punches before they actually touched me! Cooool!  
  
With Buffy's palm half an inch away from her nose, Dawn whispered, "Guaaauuu," then her eyes moved from the threatening hand to her sister's eyes, a big smile plastered on her face. "Buffy! That was amazing! But how? What happened?"  
  
Buffy looked at her sister and then at her open mouthed friends. Blushing furiously, the Slayer admitted, "I don't know! Suddenly everything slowed down giving me plenty of time to move or block." Buffy looked baffled.  
  
Xander came jumping towards the two sisters. "That was soooo cool! Man, it was like. so fast. you know? Like. lighting. like. The Matrix. yeah . that's it! Like The Matrix." The young man hugged her two friends and, looking at the blond Slayer, he praised, "Buffy, all I could see was a blur. Trinity would have said you move like they do!"  
  
The rest of the gang was still in shock except Giles who seemed surprised, but pleased. "Of course! The Third Eye!" Everyone turned to the Watcher.  
  
"What was that?" Scully was intrigued by what she had just witnessed. She too had seen The Matrix and she had to agree with Xander. At some level, Buffy was moving like those agents in the movie. It was not the same in real life. Probably the special effects But for the naked eye, the result was very similar.  
  
The Watcher noticed that his remark had called everyone's attention. Buffy and Dawn moved to where their mentor was. The rest of the gang followed suit.  
  
Giles removed his eyeglasses and started cleaning them. He had picked that habit from a history professor at Oxford. It helped him concentrate and think more clearly. "There are tons of writings about the Slayer and her powers, as you know. Nevertheless, after what I have seen, two particular ancient poems come to mind. The first one's translated title is 'The Eye That Sees Everything', which is what I believe happened to you, Buffy."  
  
The Slayer was about to start shooting questions but Giles stopped her. He continued, "And the second one is a poem called 'No Limits'."  
  
The Watcher walked away from the group and leaned on the balance beam. "What happened here I believe was that Dawn's overwhelmingly fast attacks and Buffy's concentration opened what some call 'The Third Eye'."  
  
Everyone still looked baffled. "The Third Eye? What does it do?" Everyone was really intrigued. The same question was running around their minds, but it was Scully the one that asked.  
  
Giles looked at the petite redhead. "Let me put it this way. We all have heard the old saying, 'The hand moves faster than the eye', right? Well. wrong! At least not when The Third Eye is developed. You see. Your eyesight becomes so fast that everything seemed to move at a slower speed, giving you enough time to see and counter any incoming attack. You are like. inside a slow motion movie, but you can still move at normal speed."  
  
"Yes! That's how I felt!" Buffy was excited at first, but then she turned serious. "That's a good thing. right?"  
  
Giles smiled. "Yes it is! If you can control The Third Eye, it would be nearly impossible for any demon to hit you during a fight, however it will take considerable efforts on your part to control it, young lady."  
  
"That's so cool!" Dawn sounded jealous. "I want a Third Eye, too!"  
  
Buffy turned to her sister. "From what I saw, you will have it soon. There was a moment there when I was unable to follow your moves. That was before my eye thing opened up, of course."  
  
The teenager's eyes lightened up visibly. She smiled at her sister and then looked back at Giles. "What was the other poem about, Giles?"  
  
The Watcher was caught by surprise. "What? .Ah, yes... The second poem implies that there are no limits for the Slayer's powers that her strength will keep on growing inside and outside. or. something like that. Nevertheless, the Watchers' Council never believed that could be possible, so it was never taken seriously. Besides, most Slayers we have trained were killed before they even reached 18, so there was never the chance to see how far they could go. I wonder."  
  
Phoebe interrupted, "You are thinking that now that The Third Eye has proven to be true, then the other poem might have some truth in it as well?"  
  
"Yes! Something along those lines." Giles was still pensive. "I was also wondering if we Watchers have trained the Slayers in the proper way. I was speechless when I saw them sparring. I believe that Buffy and Dawn's marked improvement is the result of their own competition. They have taken their bodies to limits I did not considered possible hence forcing them to grow stronger and faster." Giles looked embarrassed. "I think I may have actually being slowing them down with my pitiful simple training methods. These girls need something more. challenging."  
  
Buffy had a horrified look on her face when she looked at her sister. ".more challenging?" Then, addressing her mentor, she said, "Giles, your training has always been challenging! How can you think of it as simple and pitiful?"  
  
Dawn nodded, "Buffy is right. Your training methods have been very efficient on me, and I believe they did wonders on my sister."  
  
Giles looked serious. "I will have to disagree with both of you. Even in high school, Buffy had no real difficulty facing any test I put her through. She aced them out without real effort. That went on for several years and instead of giving her more difficult tasks, I stop doing it all together. I thought I had outlived my usefulness as a Watcher." A shy smile appeared on Giles' face. "Then Dracula came and she learnt from him, not me, that she still had much to learn about what a Slayer is. I. I should have seen that, but I didn't." The Watcher looked at his charge with love and pride. "Buffy came to me and asked me to train her again. We increased the difficulty of her exercises and she grew stronger, but unfortunately that did not last long. After graduation, she went to the university. Once again, I felt she was self sufficient and there was nothing more I could do for her." Giles looked at the crowd around him. "You see? I have never really helped her develop her powers the way I should have!"  
  
Buffy and Dawn both opened their mouths to speak, but Giles lifted his open palm once more. "Let me finish, please." He walked closer to both girls and placed his arm on Dawn's shoulders. "Dawn, your competitive spirit has pushed Buffy to limits I never did. but now that I have seen what you both are capable of." He placed the other arm around Buffy's shoulder and pulled them closer to him. ".things are going to change!" Giles' firm voice resounded in the enclosed training area. "As soon as we overcome this crisis, you, young ladies, are going to see what I meant when I said 'challenging'!" The watcher let go of the two sisters, turned around and happily walked out of the room.  
  
Dawn looked very excited. "This is going to be fun!"  
  
Buffy looked at her sister like if she had lost her mind. "Are you nuts? That sounded like it's going to be painful! I hate pain! I get enough pain from demons and vamps! No pain for me, thank you very much!"  
  
Mulder neared the two powerful girls. His eyes twinkling and a big grin dancing on his lips, "Well, ladies, I wish the best of luck to both of you. I believe our friend Giles is planning on redefining the meaning of the word 'challenge' and you are going to play a very active part in such redefinition."  
  
All the females giggled, Xander chuckled and Cole smiled  
  
"Let's go, Dawn, we need to talk to Giles. I like the word 'challenge' as it is. No redefinition needed!" Buffy took her sister by the hand and pulled her out of the room.  
  
The laughs of her friends were a happy note during these stressful moments of her life. She had to smile at their joy and believe that everything would be fine.  
  
~~~~~~ Section One, England, Thursday 8AM  
  
"Michael! Operations wants to see you!" Birkoff turned back to his station once the message was delivered.  
  
The top section operative looked impassive. Most would fear facing Operations, especially these days. He had a pretty good idea what he wanted to discuss. The best operatives had been assigned to the Watcher's case, and they have not retrieved any useful intel yet. Michael was certain that Operations was in a foul mood. He reached his destination and stood at the doorway.  
  
Operations was looking down to where Birkoff was sitting, but Michael was sure he knew of his presence. The head of Section One turned around. His eyebrows were knitted together. "What the hell is going on, Michael? I read your report and there is nothing, NOTHING that can help us get to the bottom of these killings!"  
  
Michael's voice was barely a whisper but loud enough for the older man to hear him. "Our inside agent was killed as well."  
  
"I know that!" Operations was fuming. "Damn Watchers! Birkoff is useless since they are not into computers." Taking a short breath, he addressed his best agent again. "What's your suggestion?"  
  
The top Section Operative did not even blink. "I believe we need outside help on this one."  
  
"Help? No other section would help us, and even if they did I would not ask them to!"  
  
"I meant the Slayer and her Watcher!" Michael wasn't sure if Operations would accept his proposal, but he knew Section One had ran out of options.  
  
Operations stayed quiet for almost a minute. Michael did not say a word either. Finally, the older man agreed, "All right, but let's play anonymous first. Tip Mr. Giles about what has happened with the council. He might lead us to the source of these killings." The head of Section One turned around again.  
  
Michael knew their meeting was over. He walked out and headed to his office. An e-mail to Willow Rosenberg is probably the best way to go.  
  
The male agent walked into his office and found the beautiful Nikita stretched comfortably on a chair in front of his desk. Michael stopped and looked at the blonde agent. "Yes?"  
  
"Operations must be quite upset about your lack of intel." Nikita knew that Michael would let information slip as long as she was not directly questioning him. He preferred to drop hints here and there and let her figure out what was going on by herself.  
  
As usual, Michael's face showed no emotions. "Yes."  
  
"So, either one of you came with a way out of this?" Nikita looked straight into Michael's eyes.  
  
The male agent, ignoring her stare, surrounded the desk and settled on his chair. "I proposed to Operations to work with the Slayer."  
  
Nikita smiled. "I assume he said no."  
  
"He asked me to drop an anonymous tip and study their reactions." Michael was already typing the mail that would be sent to the redheaded witch in Sunnydale.  
  
Nikita shook her head. "That would not work. They are not going to lead us to the source of the problem. Their way of studying these types of cases is indoors. We do not have time for that type of surveillance. Besides, with the type of work they do, they must have their homes protected with all sorts of spells." Nikita could not believe she was talking about magic again. It wasn't that long ago that neither she, nor anyone in Section One, believed in the supernatural.  
  
Michael stopped typing and looked at the blonde beauty. The Hellmouth was no longer patrolled by Section agents, just monitored and their surveillance was indeed poor. Their equipment was good enough to hear conversations inside houses without having to bug them but that was not enough to learn the specifics of their current situation. A few cameras were ready to be activated when needed, but none inside their homes.  
  
Michael nodded. "Working with them may be the only solution then."  
  
Section had remained in the shadows learning whatever they could from Sunnydale without interfering with the Slayer and her duty. They studied and learned from the Scooby gang and the Watcher as well but now things were different. Their inside eyes had been eliminated and all they knew was that the threat was going to be of apocalyptic proportions.  
  
The male operative sighed. He thought back to two years ago when this whole adventure started. It had taken Section almost two years to be able to place an agent inside the Watcher's council, and now when they needed him the most, he was murdered.  
  
Unavoidably, Section One found out about the Slayers, and all the other demons these powerful girls had to face.  
  
Nowadays, a huge area dedicated to Demonology and Mythology was filled with scientists, historians, occultists and other supernatural experts. The department was called 'DOF'. It stood for Demonic Oriented Force of Section One and Michael was their leader.  
  
Nikita, on the other hand, had remained in the normal part of Section One she'd always known. No name was assigned to her side but Birkoff called it the 'EHS', meaning the 'Evil Homo Sapiens' side of Section.  
  
From the start, she had volunteered to be part of DOF yet both Madeline and Operations have strongly disagreed and rightfully so. She was the second best in Section, and they couldn't afford both top operatives to be working on the same area. They needed her to keep fighting against Red Cell and other terrorist organizations.  
  
Section One learned more and more about the supernatural side of our world. A whole society lived behind what we call the sane mind. Thousands of different species, most evil, but many were only trying to survive the everyday hassles, just like every other human or animal that populated the face of the earth.  
  
When Section opened this new hidden world, it was like opening Pandora's box and there was no going back. Information kept pouring in everyday. Demons and humans with all sorts of powers, good and bad witches, warlocks and even fairy tales were no longer what they seemed.  
  
Needless to say, both Operations and Madeline were feeling unease. They had always been in complete control, yet things where slowly slipping out of their hands. They just did not know what to do.  
  
Their first idea was to immediately recruit Giles, Willow and the Slayer but the inside agent was totally against it. His explanation was based on some mumbo jumbo about how all the evil vs good balance could be broken and how dangerous was to leave the Hellmouth unprotected.  
  
Obviously, the undercover agent's opinion was not good enough to change both Section Leaders' mind. At that moment the Section One they knew was crumbling and preventing that from happening was their first priority. Both Madeline and Operations decided to send the recruiting team to Sunnydale.  
  
Michael was in charge of the recruiting mission at the moment but before they had any time to try to capture any of the candidates, they witnessed a fight between the Slayer and another blonde woman named Glory. The Slayer was easily beaten by Glory, which prompted Michael to report. The following days were more of research and surveillance than anything else. When Operations finally found out who this Glory was, he immediately changed his mind. Removing the Slayer from the Hellmouth could indeed be disastrous.  
  
He pulled the recruiting team and sent out a group with surveillance equipment to keep tabs on the Scooby Gang. That's how Section One finally understood the kind of forces the young heroine had to fight. They even witnessed how she unexpectedly sacrificed her life to save the world.  
  
Michael remembered Madeline humbly admitting that with all their advanced equipment and forces, they would not have been able to accomplish such a feat.  
  
For the following months, Section still kept a small team in Sunnydale helping out from the shadows. The Buffybot had been doing an amazing job, with some help here and there from some of Section agents. Unfortunately all five operatives were killed when they tried to face a gang of demons on motorcycles that attacked Sunnydale and destroyed the Buffybot.  
  
Operations, Madeline, Nikita, hell! Everyone, including him, almost had a heart attack when they found out that Willow's attempt to resurrect Buffy had been successful. From then on, they left Sunnydale to the Scooby Gang. Not only had these youngsters proven to be capable for such task, but they were also better equipped than Section One to deal with the supernatural.  
  
After two years, Section One was now able to effectively fight demons, but compared to the Slayer and her group of loyal followers, they were still in diapers. Section's library was full of information and translators, but all of them had no real field practice like Giles did and, unlike the Scooby Gang, Section did not have a witch. The thought of having a witch inside broke almost every protocol there was. Both Operations and Madeline were against it when they saw that many of those witches could disappear and reappear in a different place. If Section could not contain them, then they were not Section material.  
  
Michael's memories were interrupted by Nikita. "Michael, if you are going to Sunnydale, I would like to go."  
  
The green eyes looked at her like a pair of two soulless pits. "Why?"  
  
Nikita shrugged. "I have the time, I think I can help, and I'd like to see Buffy again."  
  
Michael nodded. "I'll think about it."  
  
The beautiful young woman got up and walked out the office. She stopped and looked at the man she has fallen in love with. Michael's attention was back to his computer. I know he loves me, but our relationship is not meant to be. Nikita sighed and resumed her walk.  
  
Michael waited a couple of seconds after the door closed. Then he looked through the blinds. His heart beat faster every time he saw her. He recalled those words he once told her. {When I thought I was going to break, I thought of you. You are the only one of us who has a soul. I am so sorry, Nikita. I don't know what love is anymore. The only apart of me that is not dead is you.} He slowly closed the blinds. His eyes shining with unshed tears, he thought, I love you, Nikita.  
  
~~~~~~ Manchester, England, Thursday 9AM  
  
"Quiet! Quiet, please!" The head of the Watchers seemed unable to calm the 8 remaining members of the Council. Over 20 colleagues had been viciously murdered in the last 24 hours. "Please remain calm! I understand how you are feeling!"  
  
One of the youngest members, an American, stood up and yelled at the reduced group, "SHUT UP!" The voices immediately quieted down. "We are getting nowhere yelling at each other. Let Mr. Travers speak, would ya?" Then, looking at the head of the council, he slowly sat down. "Sorry, sir."  
  
Quentin Travers smiled at the young man. "Thank you, Mr. Richards. As you all know. last night a terrible event marked our lives. Twenty-two members of the high council were slaughtered, including my family and one more member is missing." His face seemed to be carved in stone. "This information has not reached any of our field agents yet and I hope to keep it that way until we have gathered the information we need to uncover the traitor."  
  
A bomb would have caused less impact on those present than the last words they heard. They were all stunned. Most could not say a word and before they did and all hell broke loose, the head of the Watchers continued, "Before you jump into conclusions, let me tell you what we have found so far. Gabriel!"  
  
A man walked hurriedly to the elevated desk and gave a report to the chairman. He looked at it for a few seconds and then turned his eyes back to his audience. "We already know who did this and why. However, the information in my hands is frightening, and I am not going to lie to you. We may very well lose our lives trying to stop this menace."  
  
A pin drop could have been heard at that moment. The head of the watchers sighed and stood up. "A few months back, we detected a couple of inconsistencies in our inventory. Unfortunately, we were unable to prevent what happened next. By the time we found which items were missing, the goddess Glory was already attacking Sunnydale." Murmurs of disapproval were heard among the group of men and women conforming the audience. "That was the first time we suspected there was a traitor. It could have been an outside job, but we had to make sure."  
  
The head of the Watchers' Council sat down again. "As you know, joining the watchers involves an initiation ritual. Well, we have been running DNA tests on all our council members using the blood samples we gave during such ritual. Unfortunately, it is a lengthy process and until we received the names of those that were killed, we were not able to determine who our man is.  
  
They all opened their eyes wide when they understood whom the traitor was. A young woman started sobbing, "Roger! Oh, God, no!"  
  
Quentin continued, "Roger Goodman, our supposedly missing victim. The fact that he was not killed, yet he was missing, prompted us to break into his residence. The place was empty and this last report I just received tells me that someone under his name flew to California today. His destination was too close to the Hellmouth to be a coincidence."  
  
A woman in her forties, blonde and with thick glasses raised her hand. "Excuse me, Quentin, but what has been stolen this time?"  
  
The man in charge turned his head towards the woman. "Mrs. Morgan, first let me say that I am sorry about your loss. Your husband will be avenged or we will die trying. Now to answer your question, our enemy took with him the Standard and Scepter of Abigor."  
  
The group was shocked again. A brave man yelled, "You morons! How could that have happened?"  
  
Another placed his face on his hands and sighed, "We are doomed!"  
  
The rest were simply too scared to say anything. Even Mrs. Morgan was rendered speechless. Her hands were shaking and her eyes on the verge of tears.  
  
All faces had paled. Anger, hate, dismay, frustration, so many feelings running inside the remaining members of the Watcher's Council. First they blamed him, Quentin Travers, for letting this happen, but they quickly realized it was their fault too. They too had voted. They too played God so many times before. It was a miracle they had gotten away with it for such a long time. Oh yes! They were as guilty as him for believing in their all mighty power, but this time their overconfidence in that power was going to mark the end of humanity.  
  
After a few minutes, some started thinking more clearly. Now, they needed to put their heads together and find a way to defeat this new threat.  
  
The young man called Mr. Richards stood up once more. "You said you knew the reason behind this attack, right?"  
  
The head of the council walked a few steps to the right and pulled down a white board. He turned on a projector and a picture of Roger Goodman was displayed on the first slide. "Let me start saying that this man not only made us believe he was the most gentle, caring, intelligent, sharing person we knew, his facade went deeper than that. This 'man' has been a part of this council for at least two hundred years." He lifted his hands to quiet down the murmurs that were slowly rising. "Please, hear me out. He has changed his face and name every time he was recruited. His knowledge of the demonic world has always helped him reach the highest positions. He has been our chairman on more than one occasion and a renowned professor in many others and always a member of the Council. Roger is definitely a demon and not just any demon. He is a Laark, high priest demon of the Sect of Abigor. We do not know how powerful he can be, but we are certain his intentions are to summon his master. Needless to say that we must stop that from happening!"  
  
* * *  
  
Outside the Watchers' mansion, a dark figure smiled. The shadow was looking at the small device laying on his right hand. It was totally black, not bigger than a matchbox. There was a small red button in the center of the small item. His smile changed into an evil grin when he pushed the button. "Bye, bye morons!"  
  
A big explosion resounded through out Manchester. Debris was later found a mile away from the actual explosion. The shadow waited a bit longer, admiring his work. Then he saw a TV truck coming towards the mansion. Bugger! I forgot that the BBC TV Studios is less than a mile away. I guess that's my cue to leave!  
  
With his hands in his pockets, the assassin walked to where the crow was gathering but he quickly moved away before the cameras started shooting.  
  
A reporter was already making speculations in front of the camera about how one of the most renowned antique firms in Manchester had suddenly turned into a pile of ashes.  
  
Nobody paid attention to the dark shadow who smiled as he starts heading towards the Piccadilly train station. Antique firm, my arse!  
  
~~~~~~ Giles' Residence, Thursday 3PM  
  
Giles looked shaken and terribly worried. "Willow received an anonymous computer mail. It reads, "Watchers' Council was destroyed. Beware."  
  
Buffy waited a few seconds but Giles did not say another word. "That's all it says?"  
  
Giles nodded. "Yes." He seemed beaten, tired, older and sad. "I knew them all. Many were good friends of mine for several years. Who could have done such a thing?" He then looked at his charge. "We must be alert. If they attacked the council, it was for a reason. They might be trying to gain dangerous information or power that can very well be used against you, Buffy. If that is so, whomever is responsible for this massacre may pay us a visit."  
  
The Slayer stood up. "Let them come!"  
  
Willow stood up as well. "Yeah, let them come."  
  
Dawn was already standing besides her sister. "No problem!"  
  
Mulder and Scully nodded and the Charmed Ones smiled. None of them seemed intimidated. "Count us in."  
  
Leo orbed out. "I will check with the Elders, and see if they know anything about these murders."  
  
Cole seemed to be having a great time. "Where Phoebe goes, I go."  
  
Xander sighed and stood up as well. "Hopefully, they'll give us at least a week to rest." Everyone looked at him, so he promptly defended himself "What? Let's not forget tomorrow's appointment with big bad demons and our old friends, the pointy-fanged whacko vamp lady and her family!"  
  
Dawn smiled at Xander. "Don't worry, we can handle it."  
  
Giles nodded. "Xander might have a point there. We can't be overconfident of our combined skills. These are very powerful beings we are dealing with and a mistake could mean the death of one of us or worse. particularly those of us with no real powers."  
  
Xander eagerly nodded his head. "Yes, yes. that's what I was trying to say."  
  
~~~~~~ Somewhere above U.S. soil, 4PM  
  
The dark figure addressed the Laark Priest. "We should be in Sunnydale by 9PM, sir!" He then looked outside and smiled. "I can not wait to see Ripper's face when he sees me again! If he believed that those toy soldiers were going to keep me away for long, he doesn't know me as much as I thought!"  
  
The Laark priest looked at his follower. "Remember, you are not to do anything without my consent! Vengeance will be yours as I promised but Abigor is our first priority! Understood?"  
  
Ethan Rayne, once Giles' friend, nodded. "I understand, sir." He then averted his eyes back to the land below. Time to meet again, Ripper, but this time you are not walking out of it alive!  
  
~~~~~~ Druscilla's lair, Thursday, 8PM  
  
Moltor was sitting on a chair located on a pedestal above his listeners. Druscilla was standing by his left side. He had been talking to his army for about 20 minutes. They were all fired up and eager for some action. They are ready! "Sistar and Bolo! You lead the frontal attack. Carlos! You and your group enter through the back. Tux and Toy Boy, you will be their eyes and ears. Toyboy will help you from here using the satellite connections and Tux will go with you guys. I don't want any surprises! Give the team leaders their microphones and distribute the weapons."  
  
Carlos and the vampire group looked baffled. "Weapons?"  
  
"Why, yes!" With a sweep of his hand, a small curtain on the right side of the cave was opened by Tux. "They might not kill you, but they can certainly kill our enemies. We should use all the advantage we can get, so we don't lose anyone. Let's keep in mind that we still have another battle tomorrow."  
  
About twelve vampires moved towards the small closet-like area where the guns had been hidden but the rest stayed still. Some were talking to their Mexican leader. Carlos turned around and faced Moltor. "Excuse me, sir, but we think that those of us that have never fired a gun before should not take one."  
  
The demon looked at his followers gathered in the biggest chamber of the cave. Maybe not as many as he wanted, but more than enough to crush the Slayer and her friends with or without guns. "Very well, Carlos. Too many guns in such close quarters may not be such a good idea anyway!" Moltor stood up. "Remember our main goal. kill as many as you can and although I do not foresee it, if it gets tough then try to capture any of the humans. That will give us enough leverage to continue with our plans! Now GO and BRING ME THE SLAYER'S HEAD!"  
  
Everyone cheered. It had been too long since they had seen any action, and they were already tired of their forced confinement. Sixty demonic figures exited the cave with one thought in their minds. to exterminate the Slayer!  
  
~~~~~~ Chapter 7 Whitelighter's City, Thursday 8PM  
  
"Well? You better make a decision, because I am not going to lie quietly here on this one! I am not letting them die! You hear me?" The young apprentice seemed very upset. "They are my family. They are my friends! They saved my life many times." The angelic face seemed teary but resolution suddenly shone back to her brown eyes. "I am going! It is the least I can do for them now!"  
  
"We can't let you do that, child!" The Elder addressing the impulsive apprentice looked very serious.  
  
Settling down on a cement-like chair, the rebellious new Elder grunted, "What are all these powers good for then?"  
  
"That is something you will learn with time." With those last words, the Elder disappeared, leaving the angry youngster alone to clear her head.  
  
She did not need much time to come to a decision. "Screw it! I am going. If they want to take away my powers, so be it!" Shaking her head as if trying to shake away her fears, she too vanished.  
  
~~~~~~ Downtown Sunnydale, Outside Magic Shop 8:30PM  
  
The streets near the Magic Box were deserted. Not a soul had the courage to get near area and those brave or stupid enough that tried it, ended up becoming a snack for the shadows surrounding the small shop.  
  
Sistar was looking at the magic shop in front of him. "We are in position. How many are inside, Toyboy?"  
  
A voice was heard in both ear microphones each team leader was wearing. "I am not positive. Satellite's image is very unclear and they seem to be sitting close to one another. I would estimate eight. plus or minus 2."  
  
"Fair enough. Carlos, are you in position?" Sistar sounded impatient.  
  
A tiny voice came out of his device. "Yes!" Sistar nodded. "Toyboy. It's up to you now. Give us the sign!"  
  
Toyboy's voice was anxious. "All of them are still in the shop. Tux, begin sequencing!"  
  
Tux grinned. "Roger that!" He then looked at Sistar who was standing next to him. "I always wanted to say that!"  
  
~~~~~~ Downtown Sunnydale, Inside Magic Box, 8:30PM  
  
The vengeance demon was counting the daily profits behind the counter while the Scooby Gang and friends were sitting around the table. "I could still be selling! There are probably potential customers waiting outside! We will never be rich closing the doors so early."  
  
"That's enough, Anya!" Her constant ranting was annoying the Watcher. She has been at it for half hour and it seemed that she was not going to stop. It started the moment they all decided to close the Magic Box, paying no attention to Anya's protests.  
  
Mulder was currently reviewing their plans. Protecting the Hellmouth was proving to be a much more difficult task than they have thought. Everyday that passed, their armies grew, helped by the power of the Key. A device they were still unable to find. "We have to move before they do." The ex- FBI agent stopped talking. "What the." Everyone turned their heads towards the place where Mulder was looking at.  
  
A bright humanoid shape was standing in the middle of the shop. Buffy and her sister bolted up and settled in a guard position in front of their friends. The rest of the group stood up ready to take cover or defend themselves, whichever came first.  
  
Leo walked passed the two Summers and bowed his head. He had recognized the distinctive feeling of the Elder in front of him. At the construction site he had felt something similar, but Sing's shielding spell had masked it, so he was unable to recognize it. With respect and concern, the Whitelighter addressed the newcomer. "Sir, madam, you could have summoned me. There was no need for you to come here."  
  
The light started subsiding and the beautiful face of the former prom queen of Hemerey High School appeared in front of the Scooby Gang and company.  
  
"Cordelia?" Buffy was baffled, Xander's wide open eyes threatened to come out of his sockets as Giles slowly neared the newcomer.  
  
Willow smiled widely and addressed her former friend. "Welcome Cordy, or should I call you Elder?"  
  
The brunette young woman smiled. "No, GOD NO!!! .Cordy is fine, Will."  
  
Leo interjected. "Excuse me, madam. I guess you already know the Slayer and her friends, but why didn't you call me? Your corporeal body and powers are at risk here. Please let me escort you back."  
  
The young brunette looked at the Whitelighter. "Call me Cordy, Leo. The rest of the Elders don't know I am here. They would have a fit if they did! And as for going back, I rather stay and fight." She then set her beautiful brown eyes on the bunch of stunned people looking at her. "Anyway, nice to see you all again!"  
  
Xander had come around the table. He was still unable to believe his eyes. The love of his life was standing in front of him. Well. she is no longer the love of my life, but she does look beautiful. "Cordy, is it really you?"  
  
Cordelia Chase smiled at her former boyfriend. "Of course, it is me, Xander. The same Cordelia you all knew." Frowning, she looked down at her outfit. ".with a lot less fashion sense as you can see." She was still wearing the white gown given to her by the Powers That Be. ". but ."  
  
The former high school queen could not continue talking. Willow ran to the newcomer and hugged her tight. "It is so good to see you, Cordy." The rest of the Scooby Gang came out of their stupor and they too rushed to the couple. A spark of anger and jealousy shone in Anya's eyes when she saw the look on Xander's face. It was clear the he still felt something for the newcomer.  
  
Feeling all her friends hugging her, showing her how much they loved her was an overwhelming feeling that threatened to make the new Elder cry, but the task at hand was too important. She swallowed her tears. "Hey guys! Guys! It is not that I am not enjoying the crush Cordelia's ribs welcome hug, but this will have to wait. We have a crisis to prevent." She waited until the last of them had released her. OK! Here it goes. "Moltor's army is outside the shop ready to attack this place. We should prepare to fight or run now!"  
  
All of them tried to speak at once. Giles was shouting, trying to calm his family and friends. "Quiet please, quiet!" No one seemed to pay attention to his futile attempts to stop the gibberish filling the room.  
  
Frustrated, Giles removed his glasses and, shaking his head, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Would you SHUT UP?!" The loud commanding voice stopped the Charmed Ones while the shock of hearing Giles' shout took care of the Scoobies' loud yelling.  
  
The Watcher sighed ignoring the surprised looks on everyone's faces. "We must remain calm, particularly now. We ought to make a decision." Giles looked around and his eyes settled on Buffy's. It was obvious that the decision would be solely hers.  
  
The Charmed Ones understood why they were not in charge this time. The Scooby Gang members were not surprised and waited patiently for the Slayer to speak. Every time there was a crisis, Buffy had always taken the leading role and this time it was not different.  
  
The Slayer breathed sharply "I think it's about time we end this! I rather fight than run." She looked around and everyone seemed to agree with her except Anya. "Will, Cole and Dawn, go take care of the back door." Both females and the demon headed towards the back of the shop. "Xan, Anya, Giles, Mulder and Scully, get into the training area. You will be safer there."  
  
Anya seemed very upset "Why here? You guys already destroyed this place before. Go somewhere else!"  
  
Buffy turned to the vengeance demon. "You wanna go outside and tell THEM that?"  
  
Anya turned around and quickly disappeared behind the training room door. Xander, Giles and the ex FBI agents did not move. Xander looked determined. "I do not know about the rest, Buff, but I am staying!"  
  
Giles nodded. "I agree with Xander."  
  
The two ex-FBI agents smiled. "We are not going to let you have all the fun. Are we, Scully?"  
  
The petite redhead nodded in agreement, a vicious smile dancing on her lips. "Don't worry about us, Buffy."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Leo, stay next to them, so you can orb out anyone that gets hurt, OK?" The Whitelighter nodded.  
  
The three Charmed Ones moved to the front door next to where Buffy was standing before she even asked them to do so. "I guess you want us here, right?" The Slayer smiled at Phoebe. "Right!"  
  
Cordelia walked to the front door as well. Buffy looked at the brunette, worried. "Do you have any powers you can use in this fight?" The young Elder shook her head. "I am still an apprentice. I know things, I can read minds and foresee some of the near future events as they develop, but right now those events are rapidly changing, so everything is fuzzy."  
  
This time it was Piper who addressed the brunette Elder. "Then I suggest you too stay next to Leo. just in case!" The witch quickly dismissed the brunette and looked at her youngest sister. "Paige, you should stay behind as well." The redheaded witch simply looked at her sister with a determined look on her face.  
  
Piper knew there was no way, short of knocking her out, that she would convince Paige, so she simply let the matter drop.  
  
Cordelia looked annoyed. "Hey! Don't ignore me! I came here to fight and that's what I am going to do." A hand gently grabbed her right arm while a familiar voice spoke next to her. "We are all going to fight, Cordy. Each with our own skills." Xander placed his other hand on Cordelia's shoulder and made her turn around. "We would be in their way if we stay in the front line." The young Elder nodded her head and smiled. "You may be right."  
  
The young man sighed in relief. "I thought it was going to be harder to convince you. You've grown!"  
  
Cordy smiled friendly. "Yeah, well. things change."  
  
Xander shook his. "Not that much! You've still got to do something about that temper Cordy. It'd always got you into trouble before." The young man whispered, ".or into a dark utility closet!"  
  
Cordelia felt the heat rising to her cheeks. "That's what the Elders keep telling me! Well, except the closet part, of course." Xander smiled widely. "Don't worry, we will have our share of action back here." The brunette suddenly realized she was standing next to Giles. Xander had been slowly pulling her away from the entrance. Admiration shone in her eyes for a second. He managed to talk me down and bring me here without me even noticing it! Has he changed that much or is it me seeing things I did not see before?  
  
Cordelia's thoughts were rudely interrupted by the sudden thunderous sound of the front door crashing down. She felt something hard slipping into her hand. She did not need to look at it to know what it was. A stake!  
  
Giles lifted a crossbow as Mulder and Scully pulled out their weapons.  
  
The impressive form of the one demon the Charmed Ones feared the most was the first to cross the entrance. Bolo's smile was deformed but his eyes showed the joy he was currently feeling. His belligerence made up for his limited intelligence. The bone-like spikes coming out of some of his body appendages looked sharp and deadly, his stony skin looked impenetrable and his muscles seemed powerful enough to break a car in two.  
  
Behind the monster, the group could see Sistar walking towards them with a cocky smile dancing on his thin black lips. "I wanted you all to meet my friend Bolo! Ha ha ha."  
  
Everyone in the room had frozen for a second when they saw the demon. Time seemed to slow down for all present. Parts of their lives quickly crossed their minds but not one of them thought the choice they were making was a mistake. The decision was made and if they had to die today, they would die fighting. Sistar's laugh only made that decision more clear in their determined minds.  
  
Giles had lowered down his crossbow for only a second before he aimed again at the monstrosity in front of them.  
  
Buffy felt the hand of fear holding her heart for a brief second, but her Slayer instincts immediately took over. Her body tensed like a coiled spring and attacked.  
  
The powerful sisters swallowed hard. They had two rounds of potions mixed with the flesh of the two previous demons they had vanquished. Piper lifted her arm. It's now or never. In unison, the Charmed Ones threw the potion at the base of both demons.  
  
"Demons that come From far lands below."  
  
Mulder heard the witches starting their spell and he wished Scully had gone to the training area. He opened fire, aiming at the small beady eyes that were laughing at them. His beloved Scully started praying while her shots kept hitting the target more often that Mulder's did.  
  
Xander held the stake harder in his hand. If I die here, I will do so fighting.  
  
Cordelia looked at the resolution painted in her former boyfriend and smiled. He has changed so much! Then, she too prepared for their visitors.  
  
Buffy was already engaged in a deadly dance with the giant. The Charmed Ones had not exaggerated when they said the demon was fast. She had barely avoided the elbow thorny bones twice and her fists were hurting from hitting the tough armor that was Bolo's skin. It's like hitting a rhino!  
  
A thin cloud was surrounding both demons. Sistar and Bolo started feeling the effects of the potion a second after the spell was completed by the Charmed Ones. Bolo roared like an injured lion as Sistar screamed in utter pain.  
  
Bolo's power was confirmed when after a few seconds, he crumbled down to the ground, but his body is still unharmed. Sistar, on the other hand, was not as lucky. His body disintegrated from bottom to top leaving nothing but a scorched patch on the floor.  
  
As soon as the blonde Slayer saw her opponent kneeling down, she attacked with renewed strength. Five consecutive kicks on the head sent the demonic form back and down on his ass. His vision still clouded allowed the Slayer to more effectively reach Bolo's body.  
  
The Charmed Ones advanced on the demon and repeated the spell again throwing more potion at his feet. Phoebe took advantage of his current position and released a side kick to the temple, but to the amazement of her sisters the demon's head barely registered the attack. The witch, on the other hand, felt down in pain. "Shit! Shit! Ouch! Shit! I think I broke my ankle!"  
  
Before Piper or Paige could come out of their surprised state, Xander was already picking up the injured witch. The four of them backed away from the two fighters. Leo moved quickly to assist Phoebe's injury.  
  
***  
  
The demon's head was starting to clear up and blocking most of the Slayer's attacks when the second magical attack hit him. His anger and pain was a sight to behold and fear.  
  
Buffy was not feeling at her best anymore. On two occasions the demon's bony arms had crashed against the Slayer's shinbone effectively blocking her and seriously hurting her legs. Although she did not look tired, her body was full of small cuts and she was clearly limping. Her bloody body had her friends sick and worried for her well-being.  
  
Bolo looked like a caged animal that had gone insane. Buffy stood as far as the room let her from his jerking actions. His arms moved from his body to his head, he hit the walls with such force that chunks of cement were flying out into the street. The Magic Box trembled. He stomped the floor and roared. He roared for as long as the pain remained in his body.  
  
Had those present being able to figure out what the Charmed Ones mixed of potions and their spell had caused to Bolo, they would have probably felt pity for the evil fiend.  
  
***  
  
As soon as the potion touched his body, Bolo felt the burning sensation of fire inside that lasted about 5 seconds; then the sensation changed. He felt like if a giant sheet of sand paper was slowly peeling off his already crisply burnt skin. His body trembled for a few torturous seconds until the pain changed in intensity and to a different place. The next painful experience was focused on his small brain which seemed to him that it was been cooked on a frying pan, blended and then constantly hit with a hammer. The horrible 'headache', if one could classify such vicious throbbing as headache, lasted for almost 10 endless seconds, yet the torture was not over. The magical assault evolved yet to a more malicious level. Acid, pure acid! It was like he had been thrown in a pool of acid. He felt his body burning, peeling, his eyes melting, his bones dissolving. He screamed. He could not think clearly, attack or defend. Everything around him was pain! Such was the pain that the demon never even felt the bullets and arrows thrown at him by Giles and the former FBI agents.  
  
The mixed potions and spell attack was so powerful that Bolo went down on his four, totally dazed.  
  
Biting her lips hard, trying to ignore the pain coming from her legs, the blond Slayer rushed towards the demon. Two kicks on the face, one on neck, two more on the ribs, and a final sweep aimed to one of Bolo's supporting arms successfully sent the monster back to the floor. Am I hurting it at all?  
  
The answer came from the demon itself. Only a couple of seconds later after such formidable attack, Bolo was shaking his head trying to dissipate the dizziness he was feeling. He firmly planted both hands back on the wooden floor and, attempting to get back up, he moved his huge mass to a one-knee position. "Puny humans will PAY!" he roared, his booming voice bouncing against the small room's walls.  
  
***  
  
The two FBI agents, Xander, Giles and Cordelia did not know what to do. The two fighters were moving too fast for them to use any of the weapons, so they waited.  
  
After the Charmed Ones' second attack, Bolo started trashing the place. Giles and his friends had to keep ducking to avoid the splinters and debris flying around the room but that did not stop them from using their weapons against the demon.  
  
Once the effect of the spell subsided, the FBI agents emptied their guns on the areas where Bolo seemed most vulnerable.  
  
Giles was placing another arrow on his crossbow, when Dawn's scream was heard. "WILLOW. NOOO!"  
  
Xander turned around and started running towards the back entrance. Giles too decided there was little he could do to help Buffy and the Charmed Ones.  
  
The sight in front of Xander was one coming out of his worst nightmares. Willow was on her knees unconscious, leaning on a vampire who was currently holding the redheaded witch with both hands. Dawn was a few feet behind and Cole was ahead closer to the back door, a ball of energy dancing on his right hand. Through the doorway, they could see several feral smiles of Druscilla's army waiting for the next move.  
  
The vampire holding Willow addressed the newcomers. "You move. she dies!"  
  
Giles froze at the scene in front of him. A quick look and everything was clear. Damn, I should have thought of that! The pieces of broken gypsum on the floor told him how the vampire had surprised the group. Another demonic figure was looking through the hole in the ceiling at the scene unfolding below. "Leave her alone, you bastard!"  
  
Carlos chuckled. "I thought you were the wisest of the group. If you were you in my position, would you let her go? Naaahh, right?. Now, put your weapons down."  
  
The Scooby members knew how fast the vampire could break Willow's neck. Xander felt the blood boiling under his skin. I've got to save her! But how?   
  
~~~~~~ Downtown Sunnydale, Outside the Magic Box, Thursday 8:45PM  
  
"Tux, we are ready to attack!" Carlos was barely able to hold his troops from crashing inside the building.  
  
The demon responded with a grin that could be easily detected through the earpiece. "You are going to love this! There is an attic in this building, plenty of space and a small window-like entrance. I think we should send a couple of guys through there, Carlos."  
  
The Mexican vampire smiled. "I will go myself. Are Bolo and Sistar still fighting?"  
  
Tux grunted, "Satellite doesn't register Sistar's presence. He is gone! Bolo is still inside facing four opponents, possibly the Charmed Ones and the Slayer or another witch. There is a group of five behind them. Two are firing guns. That leaves you guys with only three enemies on the back door. Enjoy!"  
  
Carlos laughed out loud. "This is going to be fun. ATTACK!"  
  
A wave of ten vampires rushed towards the back door. As soon as the door crashed down, two vampires turned to dust when energy balls flew through their bodies. The attacking force, however, kept advancing.  
  
Carlos looked at the two vampires next to him. "You two.take charge. If you stop the attack for any reason, I will kill you myself!" He then called a young vampire holding a knife on his right hand. "Pete, come with me!"  
  
The Mexican explained his minion what the plan was. A few seconds later, both vampires made a 6 feet jump and grabbed the edge of the roof. They pulled themselves up and stealthily moved towards the small entrance Tux had located. "Bingo!"  
  
Breaking the hinges that held the small window was a walk in the park for Carlos. He eagerly sneaked inside and headed towards the area where he believed the back door was. "Tux, I could use some guidance here!"  
  
The demonic entrepreneur was in a big black van outside on the street. He looked at the monitor that covered the back of the house. The readings of all his monitors were not coming from the satellite directly, but from Toy Boy's lab. They had installed a powerful dish at Druscilla's lair, and its signal was being forwarded to the van. The vehicle would look too suspicious with a big dish on top of it.  
  
The beacon coming out of Carlos earpiece allowed Tux to quickly locate the vampire. He was only a few feet away from the three enemies. "Try not to lose your earpiece or I will lose you, Carlos." Damn vampires and their lack of body heat!  
  
Tux guided the two vampires to their targets. "There! Stop! Balthazor is about six feet ahead of you facing the door; you are standing above one of the humans right now. There is another human behind you, about five feet away."  
  
Carlos wondered for a second how Tux could have known that the enemy close to the door was Balthazor, but he dared not ask. Probably some mumbo jumbo about how the demons look different to humans through their toys. No, thanks!  
  
Pete looked at his leader. "Ca." However, he was unable to continue because the Mexican's hand covered his mouth effectively. Thanks to the enhanced hearing, Pete was able to hear Carlos' whispered rant. "Shut the fuck up, stupid moron! Trying to get us killed?"  
  
Shaking his head, the younger vampire whispered an apology. Carlos looked down. His vampiric eyes allowed him to see in the dark attic. An evil grin was plastered on his face. Whoever had built the place never really made a floor in the attic. Only a few loose flat logs placed across the main beams separated them from the weak gypsum below. If they were careful enough, they could have access to the first floor ceiling by simply moving a couple of those logs. The element of surprise depended on their ability to do so without making any noise.  
  
With utmost care, both vampires lifted and placed the chosen logs away from their target area. Once the task was finished, Carlos contacted Tux again. "Are the targets still in place?"  
  
Tux nodded. "Proceed with the skydiver maneuver." Loud chuckles followed the statement.  
  
The vampire rolled his eyes at the stupid joke. I hate smart asses! He then let his body fall down through the fragile material the first floor ceiling was made of.  
  
Dawn saw a shadow falling behind Willow and screamed, "WILLOW, NOOO!" The warning came too late. The vampire hit the redheaded witch hard on the back of her head.  
  
Willow's limp body went down like a rock. Carlos let her fall to a kneeling position. From there, he grabbed the young woman's head and kept her body erect, clearly threatening to break her neck.  
  
Balthazor had killed a large number of vampires already. A pile of ashes was close to the doorway. He surveyed the situation for a second but quickly returned his attention to the group of vampires trying to enter through the back entrance. I can not give my back to those at the doorway. How can I help Willow, then?  
  
The arrival of the Watcher and Xander made things tenser. The second vampire, Pete, dropped down and faced Dawn.  
  
The brunette teenager was too angry to think clearly, but the love for her friend kept her nailed to the floor. Focus, focus, focus. I hope Willow comes out of it soon.  
  
The air felt heavy. Both groups were frozen in place, neither ready to let hell break loose. Both unsure what the next step would be.  
  
Carlos decided he was currently in control. "Ladies and gentlemen, please put your weapons down," he chuckled.  
  
Giles was about to obey when another figure fell on top of the vampire holding Willow. The impact Carlos received on the left side of his neck took him down to his knees. He hadn't recover from the blow when a stake was pushed through his back and into his dead heart. The Mexican vampire turned to dust before he could even understand what had happened. The attacker had pulled the stake out quickly to prevent it from turning to dust as well. Whirling around, she faced the second minion.  
  
Dawn, Giles and Xander had only seen the back of Willow's savior but now that she had turned her head, they couldn't believe their eyes. "CORDELIA!" Shocked faces with mouths wide opened, the Scooby members could not understand how Miss I-Broke-A-Nail-Number-One-Whiner had been able to save Willow so swiftly.  
  
Giles lifted his crossbow and both Xander and Dawn rushed to help their friend, but they arrived too late. Pete, the second infiltrated vampire, had attacked Cordelia with his right claw. The attack was meant to rip her carotid wide open. "DIE, BITCH!"  
  
Cordelia saw everyone moving. Dawn was the closest, Giles and Xander a little behind, but most of all she saw her opponent's arm advancing at her neck at incredible speed. She was still turning so her balance was off. There was no way she could block the attack with her free arm, and if she blocked it with her right, she would be exposing her side to his next attack while her position remained unchanged. It would render her off balance.  
  
The former high school prom queen ducked. She continued her spinning motion at a lower level while her enemy's arm passed a few inches above her head. Taking advantage of her new position, she stepped out underneath his armpit, stood up and kicked the back of his right knee.  
  
Pete knew that he was in trouble when he missed the attack. The brunette bitch was no longer in front of him, but behind. Before he could turn around to face her, he felt his right leg giving in and his body going down from lack of support on that side.  
  
The brunette did not waste time. As soon as the vampire's knee touched the floor, the stake on her hand entered his back. A soft "oh shit!" came out of Pete's mouth before he too turned to dust.  
  
Dawn was next to Cordelia looking at her with admiration. "Are you sure you are the same Cordy we knew?"  
  
Xander and Giles were both speechless. They could not comprehend how their annoying, selfish, good for nothing Cordy had become Xena, Warrior Princess, all of the sudden?  
  
"Guys! Don't stand there. I need help here!" Balthazor might have been almost indestructible, but throwing energy balls constantly for such a long time was really taking a toll on him. Even in his demonic form, he looked very tired.  
  
They rushed to assist their demon friend, but a loud yelp of pain was heard inside the shop. Piper's voice screamed Phoebe's name with such anguish that Balthazor's heart broke in two and he lost all his ability to reason.  
  
The good demon stepped back, turned around and ran to the source of the cry.  
  
The Scooby Gang in front of him opened their eyes wide. "Cole stop! You are letting them in!" Dawn's warning was either not heard or simply ignored by the demon.  
  
Without reducing his speed, Balthazor faded from existence to avoid crashing against Cordelia, Xander and Giles who were blocking the passageway that led to the front shop.  
  
***  
  
Most vampires outside were not willing to risk their lives getting in front of the deadly energy balls, but their two older leaders where sending them in couples, starting with the newbies. Fifteen, maybe more, had already sacrificed their lives, and they could not yet understand how could that help them win this battle. "What are you trying to do? That motherfucker is going to kill us all!"  
  
Both leaders looked at the younger vampire. "We know what we are doing! Keep attacking unless you want me to kill you now!"  
  
In the past minute, Tux had seen what Cole was doing to his armies, so he had called the backup leaders. "Listen, guys. We need to force Balthazor to keep throwing energy balls. Keep sending pairs inside. That will drain his energy reservoirs! It won't be long before he tires."  
  
"Why don't we send them one by one then?" The vampire saw how two more energy balls hit their intended targets. "He is killing us slowly but surely. This is fucking frustrating!"  
  
Tux grinned, "Cool it boy! If you send one by one, Balthazor will not use energy balls at all. He will kill them with his bare hands. Two is the smallest number we can use. Trust me! I know what I'm saying!"  
  
The leader's flashback was interrupted when one of the vampires yelled, "The demon is gone! Let's go in!"  
  
As soon as the vampire army realized that the feared Balthazor was no longer protecting the back door, they attacked with renewed enthusiasm.  
  
*** Balthazor appeared inside the Magic Box's main hall. The demon froze at the chaotic sight. Piper was holding a very bloody Phoebe on her arms, spurts of blood coming out of a nasty chest wound. The Slayer was barely able to stay on her feet facing one, still very angry, cave demon. At least ten vampires were now inside the shop. Mulder, obviously out of ammo, was fighting the best he could with a stake in his hand. He was a good fighter, but whenever he had to dust his enemies, he kept missing the heart. Scully was lying at his feet, injured. The demon could not see if she was still alive or not. Even the Whitelighter was throwing punches and kicks against the overwhelming odds.  
  
The youngest of the Charmed Ones was busy healing her dying sister while Piper, from her crouching position, kept blowing apart every vampire that dared get close to them.  
  
"Paige! Hurry up! We've got to get out of here!" Their current situation was critical and they knew it. A few minutes more of this and all of them would be dead.  
  
Not two seconds had passed when Balthazor finally rushed to Phoebe's side. The witch was opening her eyes. "Phoebe! Are you OK? I thought I'd lost you!" The witch smiled "Now you know how it feels." The demon helped his beloved stand up and hugged her tight.  
  
She looked tiny next to Cole's demonic form, her voice anxious. "You've got to help Buffy, Cole. I tried, but I wasn't strong enough to hurt it." Phoebe looked up and saw the monster's face. Balthazor nodded, an evil glint of hate appeared in his beady eyes. Damn cave demon almost killed Phoebe. I'll show him why Balthazor has been feared for almost a hundred years. "I'll try to get him away from her long enough for all of you to escape or at least to heal her wounds."  
  
Balthazor ran to the two powerful beings while Phoebe and her two sisters rushed to help Mulder, who was currently pinned down by two vampires and a third was about to bite his neck. Piper's hands were lifted to chest height and her fingers contracted and expanded. The vampire that was planning on having a late snack exploded in front of his soon-to-be victim. "Ha! Take that, demon!"  
  
The other two holding Mulder turned their ridged faces towards the Charmed Ones and they both grinned. They saw at least five more of the undead family coming through the front door at the moment. Phoebe valiantly stood between her sisters and the newcomers.  
  
One of the vampires still holding Mulder felt confident that the battle was already theirs. He punched Mulder hard on the face and turned to attack Piper.  
  
As soon as the oldest of the Charmed Ones, saw her friend going down unconscious, she reacted. The vampire hadn't had time to move an inch against her, when his body was busy getting blown into a million pieces "LEO! Orb Mulder and Scully out of here"  
  
The White lighter hesitated, but before he could say a word his wife sent him a warning look that convinced him to follow her orders. He crouched next to the two FBI agents. A second later there were only remnants of small firefly like lights dancing in the air.  
  
Paige attacked the second vampire that had held Mulder; her older sister turned around to help Phoebe who was struggling to stop to the best of her abilities the group of vampires. Piper admired her sister as her hands started blowing enemies right and left I don't think I would have lasted a second against that mob, yet she is still standing.  
  
The youngest sister was not as good at fighting as her two siblings were, but she had already killed two vampires all by herself. She was probably lucky to get two newbies, but this one, however, knew how to fight and she hadn't been able to pass his guard yet.  
  
Paige was seriously considering calling for help, but she never had time to make it verbal. The vampire ducked one of her punches and hit her hard on the pit of her stomach. The paleness of her face, a pair of now empty lungs, and a lacerating pain below her chest was enough to send her down on her knees. Her last coherent thought was for the Slayer still lying wounded in urgent need of her assistance. Darkness embraced her when the vampire hit her on the back of her neck.  
  
*** Balthazor's rushed movements warned his enemy of the incoming attack, and it gave him enough time to block the punch targeting the left side of his head.  
  
The good demon growled in pain when a huge bone-like spike went through his arm. However, that did not stop him. He stretched his other arm and grabbed Bolo's thick throat and pulled. A head butt against such hard skull was close to suicidal, but counting on his rapid healing powers and focusing on not losing consciousness, he hit the powerful demon as hard as he could.  
  
The sound of bones breaking sent chills down the spines of those present. Balthazor fell back on the floor, trying desperately to remain conscious.  
  
As soon as his head made contact with Bolo's, he was technically knocked out, but inside him, his survival instincts kicked in, a powerful motivation, an impulse kept him alive. Was it his very soul? His love for Phoebe maybe? Whatever it was, it helped him hold on for those interminably long ten seconds that took his healing powers to close the awful gash he had on his forehead.  
  
The cave demon, however, was not so lucky. He had withstood three magical attacks, as well as numerous of punches and kicks on his head and body. He was far from defeated, but he was growing weaker.  
  
The brutal collision sent him a few feet back against the closest wall, yet he refused to fall. He kept himself upright, swaying like a drunk for a few seconds until his knees were no longer able to hold him. A few seconds later, Bolo fell forward as if he had suddenly gone catatonic. Balthazor's devastating attack was more than he could take at that moment.  
  
Over four hundred pounds of pure bones and muscle fell down hard on the floor. The wooden logs broke as if they were nothing but toothpicks.  
  
The beast's left eyebrow looked like if someone had hit it with a sledgehammer. A creamy liquid was oozing out of the eye socket as clear proof that bone splinters had pricked the demon's eyeball, probably his brain as well.  
  
When Buffy saw Bolo going down, she felt the last remnants of vigor slowly sipping out of her injured body. She had given everything during the fight. This is it! I can't move another muscle. All my Slayer strength is gone. Leaning on the wall, she let gravity pull her down to a sitting position. A sigh of frustration came out of her mouth. That monster really did me good! I have never been this hurt before!  
  
The Slayer was right. Her body was a nasty display of blood, bruises, broken bones and gashes. Even her knuckles felt like if they had been pulverized. She could barely breathe through her swollen nose and breathing through the mouth was almost impossible as well. Her lips were three times as big and her jaw had been broken soon after she started getting tired.  
  
The third eye had never opened, not that it would have help her caused more damage on Bolo, but at least it would have prevented her from getting hit so many times. She kept wondering, Why? Why didn't the third eye open? Then it hit her! She remembered Giles' explanation. First it would take time and effort to control the new power, then Dawn had taken her to the limit, but although Bolo was unusually fast for a demon, he was still slow compared to her and her sister. My stupid instincts did not consider necessary to increase my speed, since the fucking demon was already slow enough for me to beat him! Another sigh of frustration escaped her. Great. just great!  
  
True enough, the Slayer was in control of the fight for most of what it lasted. She hit the cave demon innumerable times but hitting Bolo was almost as bad as getting hit. His bony body defenses, and his excellent blocking skills soon injured her arms and legs, tiring her body quickly.  
  
With her limbs badly hurt, her defenses were unable to effectively block the demon's attacks anymore. Every punch that passed through felt like getting hit by a car. I must have received at least ten of those punches!  
  
Buffy sighed. She knew she was dying from an internal hemorrhage.  
  
***  
  
Balthazor cracked open one of his eyes as soon as the tingling sensation caused by his healing powers stopped. After a brief second of searching for his beloved witch, the good demon screamed in rage when he saw her, "PHOEBE!"  
  
He bolted towards the group of seven vampires engulfing the Charmed One. She was clearly no longer in any shape to defend herself. Those bastards are beating her to a pulp! The good demon started throwing energy balls at her attackers. "BASTARDS!"  
  
After five energy balls and four targets destroyed, Balthazor felt himself too weak to keep his demonic form. As Cole, he was far less powerful, but strong enough to keep fighting. He built another energy ball and threw it at the closest enemy. Three more vampires launched against him, disrupting the flying dust particles left by their former comrade. At least they forgot about Phoebe  
  
Cole's wife was unconscious; no more vampires were coming in through the front door. Did we destroy them all? He was still able to kill one more before the other two reached him. Both vamps started pummeling his head with all their strength.  
  
Through his dazed gaze, Cole saw Bolo getting up. Oh, shit!  
  
*** Sunnydale Downtown, Outside the Magic Box, 9:15PM  
  
A couple of shadows were silently moving between buildings, slowly nearing the large number of demonic figures attacking the Magic Box.  
  
The larger one touched his right eyebrow with his index finger and pointed at the black van parked a block away from their current position.  
  
The second figured nodded, in a short quick run, crossed the empty street and headed towards the assigned target.  
  
*** Inside the Magic Box, Back Entrance.  
  
The increasing number of vampires was quickly tiring the Scooby Gang members. The Slayer's sister had lost count of how many she had staked. "There are too many!"  
  
Two vamps had jumped over Dawn's head effectively closing her escape route. Xander and Cordelia attacked them before they could attack the teenager from behind.  
  
In the meantime, Giles kept trying to bring the witch out of her forced sleep. He knew that blood would be soon spilled if they did not do something and fast! Please wake up, Willow. You might be the only one that can save us from this.  
  
Dawn was busy trying to stake the two vampires she was facing when another jumped over their head. This time his intention was not to get behind her, but to fall on top of her. She managed to stake him in mid air, but when she lifted her arm, she opened her defenses. One of her opponents kicked her hard on the stomach. After that, things went downhill for the brave teenager.  
  
The tactic had worked and more followed. Two more vamps jumped over his comrades and fell on top of her. She dispatched one, but the other pummeled her forehead. She kicked him on the chest and tried to get up, but two more were already coming down on her. Damn! I'm toast! "XANDER!"  
  
The former couple had their hands full against their two enemies. They had both learned quite a few fighting tricks during their adventures together and even though their enemies were faster and stronger, Cordelia and Xander were able to finally stake their two attackers getting in the process with only a few cuts and bruises.  
  
Xander had heard Dawn's call and as soon as he got rid of his opponent, he rushed to her assistance. Unfortunately, it was too late. Two vampires were pinning the teenager's arms to the floor, while a third one was eagerly sucking the precious liquid out of her neck.  
  
Inside his head, something short-circuited. He was about to charge against his enemies without giving a shit about his safety, when something else caught everyone's attention. A glow was coming out of dead teenager's chest and her body started dissolving.  
  
The three vampires as well as several more behind them stepped back in fear. A beautiful multicolor ball of energy was all that was left on the spot where the Slayer's sister had been lying. Xander's teary eyes widened as he whispered, "Glory's Key!"  
  
The energy ball started floating in mid-air. It hesitated for a second before it flew towards Xander and hit him square on the chest.  
  
The blow sent him flying backwards to where his friends were. Giles and Cordelia were both stunned for what they had just witnessed. The former prom queen rushed to his assistance, but before she knelt down next to him, Xander had already bolted back up.  
  
The young man looked at his hands, like if he had never seen them before; for a brief second, he closed his eyes and smiled. When he looked at the group of still shocked vampires, they all froze. A deadly glint was clearly shining in the young man's eyes.  
  
*** Inside the Magic Box, shopping area.  
  
Bolo shook his head. Last thing he remembered was getting his skull cracked by the demon they called Balthazor. He looked around and saw his attacker. He was currently being methodically beaten to death by two vampires. The rest of his enemies were all unconscious, except for the Slayer.  
  
The monster smiled when he looked at the blond girl. She was barely conscious. Her body was so badly hurt he was sure it would take him less than a second to finish the job he had started.  
  
Slowly, Bolo got up and laughed, well, if you could call that a laugh. It sounded more like a hoarse dog's bark. The two vampires stopped for a second what they were doing and looked at their ally then they looked at each other, grinning. "We won!" They kept beating Cole with more enthusiasm.  
  
The cave demon walked to where the Slayer was sitting. His big hand lowered over her head and surrounded her skull. Buffy tried to move her arms, but without the adrenaline she had felt during the fight, she was barely able to weakly grab the demon's arm with her right hand. She felt how the demon pulled her head up and how her body, like dead weight, followed.  
  
Soon she was hanging a couple of feet above ground. The monster was holding her head like a professional basketball player would. The fetid smell of Bolo's breath hit her almost clogged nostrils when he laughed again, "Slayer. Mine!" More barking came out of his mouth.  
  
Buffy thought about the things she could have done differently. Hot tears slid down her cheeks. My friends. My family. She was not afraid of dying, but she desperately wanted them to live. I made a mistake, and now they will pay as well. She remembered how many times they had followed her even when they thought it was not the right thing to do. Guys, please forgive me!  
  
An explosion detonated outside on the street. Bolo looked towards the door, but since nothing came in, his narrowed mind quickly returned his attention to the Slayer.  
  
The two vampires hitting Cole also stopped. They were not sure what to do. Their enhanced hearing brought sounds of screams outside the shop towards the back area. They looked at each other and stood up ready to bolt out.  
  
*** Inside the Magic Box building. Back Entrance.  
  
Suddenly, Xander was in motion. Covering the space that separated him from their attackers in a blink of an eye, he jumped towards one of the sidewalls and ricocheted against its surface. His right leg made a 110- degree sweep in the air ending its deadly spin on the neck of the vampire that had dared to kill Dawn.  
  
His foot slashed its way through skin, muscle and bone, severing the head from his shoulders. The dust had not yet hit the floor, when Alexander Harris had already ducked and moved sideways, positioning himself behind another one of the still shocked vampires. The young boy stood up, slid an arm around his victim's head as if about to choke him out and pulled. The head separated from his body in a mix of unnerving sounds of cable strings breaking, bones cracking and clothes being ripped. Then the head exploded in his arms.  
  
The young man's face appeared through the small cloud of dust in front of his next target. An evil grin plastered on his face. He moved with the certainty that nothing could stop him.  
  
Frozen like a mouse in front of a cobra, the vampire whined, thinking he was facing an unstoppable force of nature, and he was unlucky enough to be on its path of destruction.  
  
No one expected what happened next. Xander thrust his open palm inside the fang-boy's chest and pulled. For a brief second the evil fiend saw his dead heart turning to dust on his enemy's right hand.  
  
The three kills took less than 15 seconds. The rest of the vampires were already backing away in fear, all of them bumping against each other trying to reach the exit. No doubt in their minds that not even the Slayer had displayed this kind of power.  
  
As soon as the last vampire crossed the back door heading outside, Xander turned around. Giles, Cordelia and a recently awaken Willow were all standing there, with their jaws hanging open. The brunette young man chose to ignore their shocked faces. "Will, use magic to seal this entrance. I'll ."  
  
Xander stopped talking when a huge explosion boomed outside. The Scooby Gang looked puzzled. The young man quickly took control of the situation. "Cordelia! Orb out and check what happened. and Cordy? Be careful."  
  
"What are you going to do?" Cordelia's voice was a little shaky. The experience they had just survived was indeed traumatic, but she was more shaken by her former boyfriend's new abilities and attitude.  
  
"Buffy needs me!" Xander started walking.  
  
"How do yo.?" Willow's question was abruptly cut by Xander's commanding "Later!" The young man passed by his friends heading towards the front shop area.  
  
Screams of agony outside the Magic Box called the Scoobies' attention yet again. They tried to pierce through the darkness beyond the doorframe unsuccessfully. The Elder apprentice looked back at her former boyfriend, but all she saw was a glimpse of his back disappearing inside the shop. Take care, Xander.  
  
*** Sunnydale Downtown, Outside the Magic Box  
  
The figure moved towards the van trying to remain hidden inside the shadows. A missile launcher that came out from inside the long black coat was quickly placed on the right shoulder. A second later, the deadly projectile impacted the black vehicle.  
  
A small earthquake-like vibration shook the buildings around the area, while the closest windows blew up from the shockwave.  
  
The dark figure turned left and ran a block back towards the Magic Box's back door, letting the loud screams guide her steps. Once she turned on the next corner, the light of a fire illuminated her face. Light blue eyes, fair-haired, beautiful face. She could have been a model had she wanted it, but that was never a choice in Section One. Nikita quickened her pace. Hang in there, Buffy!  
  
About 60 feet away from her, Michael was dusting vampires with an enormous flamethrower. Blocking their only way out, few had been able to escape by jumping on top of the Magic Box's roof and then running away through the rooftops.  
  
Nikita pulled out one of Walter's favorite toys. It had 'H-WAR-1' written on the side. "Twice the range, automatic pressure control depending on target distance, four different firing modes. The 'number' is just to keep track of the future upgrades," he had said with a big grin on his old gentle face. A small smile reached the blonde woman's lips when she recalled what the acronym meant. Holy-Water Assault Rifle-1. It is nice that there is still some humor in Section. she thought, chuckling as she fired the weapon.  
  
*** Outside Sunnydale 9PM "Sir, we are about to arrive"  
  
The Laark Priest grinned, "Indeed, I can feel the Hellmouth calling me already Ethan"  
  
*** Magic Box Shopping Area  
  
As soon as Xander crossed the door that led him inside the Shop, he ran towards the cave demon. "LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU BASTARD!"  
  
The Slayer whined at the sight of one of her best friends risking his life for her. yet again No! Xander, not again! Please run! Making a superhuman effort, she called out to her friend, "Run! Please run!" But he ignored her. He always did when her life was in jeopardy. She tried to struggle, but her feeble attempts only amused Bolo.  
  
The cave demon saw the new arrival and immediately recognized him from the pictures they had shown him. One of the humans! He chuckled and squeezed his thumb and the two smallest fingers, which were located at the Slayer's temples. Buffy grunted in pain. She felt like her head was about to explode.  
  
Centuries of fighting triggered some sort of warning system inside Bolo. He sent a blow with his left hand to the blur coming at him.  
  
What the hell? Xander felt one of the bony spikes grazing his head. Phew! Hadn't I ducked in time, my head would be bouncing down the street by now. Taking advantage of his current crouching position at Bolo's side, the brunette jumped up with a right front kick that hit the inside of the demon's elbow, forcing him to release the Slayer.  
  
Through the haze, Buffy was able to see her friend in deadly dance with her latest and most powerful enemy.  
  
As soon as his feet touched the ground, a right side kick hit the demon's lower solar plexus literally lifting him off the ground and sending him at least six feet back.  
  
If Xander expected to see Bolo on the floor, he must have been very disappointed, because the huge monster skidded backwards on his soles, firmly remaining on his feet and on guard. Any good fighter keeps his/her center very well balanced, and the cave demon had proven that he was not the exception.  
  
Bolo's enraged features could not hide his surprise. The two vamps that had been beating Cole to death bolted out through the main door. The screams of his comrades and the arrival of this new opponent was more than their scared minds could cope with.  
  
Buffy closed her eyes, thinking she was hallucinating! That can't be Xander! I am delirious! Yeah, that must be it!  
  
A loud 'smack' sound forced the Slayer to crack her eyes open again. This time it was her friend holding his stomach leaning against a wall. Xander, run, for God's sake, please run! Her thoughts came out in a whisper too low to be heard.  
  
"Now you've really pissed me off, Big Foot." Xander's body stood straight, legs separated by a little more than a foot, arms loosely hanging by his sides. Anyone that saw him would have thought that he was waiting to be killed with no defense what so ever.  
  
Bolo was not so easily deceived though. He could recognize a warrior when he saw one. relaxed stand, proper balance, alert, focused and the fury in his eyes burning with a light of its own.  
  
The boy may be ready and waiting for him, but he was also showing the biggest possible opening there was in any of the known martial arts defense stances. He never underestimated his enemies though. Too many battles had taught him to treat any opponent like his most formidable adversary. That had kept him alive for so long, but still, he was not about to lose this opportunity.  
  
The demon took two quick steps and threw a left jab and a right hook. Xander's relaxed right arm fired up towards the incoming jab. He did not block it! Instead, he changed its path by tapping with his right palm on the demon's arm and tipping his head slightly to the right to let the punch harmlessly pass next to his left ear.  
  
The hook carried all the power Bolo could muster. Compared with this one, the jab would be merely a slap on the face.  
  
Death by decapitation would have been the inevitable outcome had Bolo's fist made contact with the boy's head. As for trying to block such devastating blow, only someone very, very stupid would even consider it. Xander ducked instead and moved sideways.  
  
Stepping out while grabbing Bolo's right arm, he turned his waist and pulled downward taking advantage of the demon's momentum. In one fluid movement, Xander kept turning his waist, still pulling, adding centrifugal force to the circular motion. Before a half circle was completed, the young man tripped the beast and released his arm. The monster totally lost his footing and went head first against the closest wall. Even though he was able to put his hands on the floor, he was unable to stop himself from heavily colliding into it.  
  
Buffy could not believe her eyes. That was a move expected from someone like Steven Seagal, not her Xander! What. the hell is going on here? "Xand. er?"  
  
The young man heard his friend whispering his name, but the best way to help her now was to end the fight as quickly as possible. As long as the cave demon was still a threat, he would be unable to help Buffy.  
  
Leo appeared at that moment and rushed to where the Charmed Ones were laying. "Piper!" He started healing them while the fight was about to continue.  
  
*** Outside the Magic Box  
  
The two vampires that ran out of the front door stopped cold when they saw a beautiful woman dressed all in black with a strange looking weapon on her hands walking towards them. They both ran down the street opposite the direction she was coming.  
  
The young woman smiled. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. "Michael, two more on your way!"  
  
The blonde man had already seen them. With a calm voice that was so characteristic of the section agent, he addressed Nikita, "Proceed to point three." Taking a couple of steps, he made himself visible to the two runaways.  
  
Showing no emotion whatsoever, the Section One agent lifted the heavy flamethrower and pulled the trigger. Five seconds later, he was following Nikita's steps inside the Magic Box, leaving behind only ashes that were quickly swept away by the late night breeze.  
  
***  
  
Cordelia had seen enough. On top of one of the near buildings, she had observed the two Section operatives fighting the large group of vampires. I want a gun like that!  
  
She reappeared next to the Giles and Willow. "There is a strange woman and an even stranger man fighting with special weapons against the vampires out there. And they are winning!" Cordelia looked excited for a second, but she quickly frowned. "I hope they are on our side!" Too many times their so-called allies had turned against them for different reasons to be sure about the outsider's real intentions.  
  
Giles was worried about the same thing. The Initiative is back, but why now? Why indeed! Stop that! Bloody hell! I am no fan of them, but we could use some help right about now.  
  
Willow was as surprised as her friends. "The Initiative, maybe?"  
  
Giles nodded. "I think so."  
  
***  
  
When Nikita reached the main entrance of the Magic Box, she felt her legs getting weaker. If she hadn't gone through Section's cruel mind and body training, she would have fainted right there.  
  
There was a young red-haired woman sitting on a far corner of the west wall. Her face was swollen out of proportion. She had been beat almost to death. Her face was disfigured, the way some of her limbs and torso bent let the agent know that there were too many broken bones and internal injuries. Red hair, slim, young, probably Willow. Poor thing is not going to make it!  
  
On the east side, the demon named Cole was laying dead or unconscious near the bookcase.  
  
On the south wall, the young man named Leo was doing something to his wife who was clearly injured next to the other two powerful witches. What the hell is he doing? Probably some sort of magic! The profile never said he was a warlock. As soon as Section found out that the Charmed Ones had joined the Slayer on the fight, they pulled some resources to gather enough intel about the powerful witches. Apparently, they missed some things.  
  
The shop was a total wreck. The walls and floor were tainted in red; even the ceiling had been splashed with the precious liquid. The pillars were barely holding the place together and the floor was full of broken logs and holes everywhere. It is a miracle the shop is still standing!  
  
Right in front of her, in the center of the shop, Nikita could see the back of a huge monster slowly walking towards his opponent which due to Bolo's size was completely invisible to the female section agent. It looks like Buffy is still fighting. We may be still in time to help her!  
  
Michael soon joined her and stood next to her for a second or two, analyzing the current situation.  
  
That's when the monster spoke. "Bolo crush you! Bolo kill you!" And instead of the female voice Nikita was expecting, they heard a young man teasing the demon.  
  
***  
  
The monster was already moving towards Xander again. This time he looked more cautious, but his anger was clearly visible. His thoughts were filled with a turmoil of emotions and memories. No human, the lowest of inferior beings, had ever taken me down before. Rage filled Bolo's eyes while his mace-like fists opened and closed. In the old times, I killed three Slayers and they were not able to ever come close to knocking me down and if it wasn't for the fucking witches, this Slayer wouldn't have hurt me either. His blood-tinted eyes looked at the young man standing in front of him. Who is this human? He growled, "Bolo crush you! Bolo kill you!"  
  
Xander opened his eyes wide. "You know? I know of a very good English teacher. She helped with this speech impediment I ."  
  
The Slayerette had to stop the sentence when the angry demon attacked him. Well, now we really pissed him off, Dawny! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven punches came fast to his face and torso. He tapped blocked1 the first three the best he could (Tap Block: A block used in some Martial Arts as Jujitsu, Kali from the Philippines, Kempo Karate, and Aikido where the defendant doesn't stop the incoming blow, but instead it deflects its trajectory by tapping with an open palm on the attacker's arm.), the fourth one he barely avoided, the fifth punch split open his left ear but the six one suddenly slowed down.  
  
It took Xander an eternity, in his slow-motion world, to realize what was happening. From then on, Bolo was unable to touch the young man. All of his attacks were easily avoided by the boy who kept drilling on the monster's weakest spots. This is what Buffy must have felt when the eye thingy woke up! He chuckled. This is fun!  
  
Indeed, the third eye had awakened in Xander's body or in Dawn's energy whichever way one wanted to see it. It took him only a minute of super fast kicks and punches to bring Bolo down to his knees.  
  
*** When Nikita heard the young man's voice, she immediately knew who he was. Cole was still laying on the floor and Mr. Giles was British. It had to be young Xander! He is going to get killed.  
  
The female Section agent had not finished figuring out the identity of the demon's opponent when the Bolo attacked the Slayerette. Her first instinct was to go in and help him, but Michael's strong arm stopped her advance. By then, the cave demon had already thrown his first three punches, yet failed to touch his enemy.  
  
Nikita was in shock. Seeing Xander dodge a consecutive set of incredibly fast punches, then take the offensive and in less than a minute swiftly take down the mammoth-like demon was not just impressive. It was impossible! "Michael, what's going on here?"  
  
The blonde male agent simply shook his head slightly. "I don't know!" He then turned to his right and started walking by the wall and around the two fighters heading towards the fallen Slayer, "Let's help Buffy."  
  
Nikita followed him. "Buffy?" Then it dawned on her. Gasp! That's not Willow!  
  
***  
  
The young man picked a piece of construction rod that had a large chunk of cement still attached at one of its ends. Probably came off from one of the pillars during the fight with Buffy. Like a baseball bat, Xander swung it with all his strength against the demon's right temple. The large piece of cement exploded into thousands of pieces when it contacted the monster's head. Bolo collapsed unconscious with half of his skull caved in.  
  
With a confidence he had not felt since he first spotted Bolo, Xander walked to his enemy, placed the metal rod around the demon's windpipe, his right foot on top of the bashed head and started pulling with all his might. The strong metal bent until it looked like a U, but that did not stop the Slayerette from pulling until all his muscles complained from so much exertion.  
  
Soon the bar started cutting through, merciless ripping the skin tissue, ligaments, muscles and finally stopped when it reached the cervical bones. Xander placed his other foot on top of the demon's back and made one last pull. Bolo's head rolled a few feet and hit Cole's inert body. The young man's body was propelled backwards once the support from the neck disappeared. He tried to keep his balance but irremediably ended up on his rear end. Oh man, what a way to end the fight!  
  
Watching how the demon started dissolving, the young savior quickly forgot about his embarrassing fall. A few seconds later, Bolo had become a smelly puddle of a greenish jelly-like substance.  
  
*** Leo was still healing Phoebe when Paige elbowed the oldest of the Charmed Ones. Piper turned her head to where her sister was pointing. Two strangers dressed in black were kneeling over the Slayer.  
  
Piper whispered, "Help Leo heal Cole. I will help Buffy!" The powerful witch rushed to the west-south corner where her blonde friend was laying. "I warn you. Take your hands off her!" For someone that didn't know about Piper's powers, her threat would have sounded hollowed, even laughable, with her hands at chest level like if she was holding an invisible ball but the two strangers obviously knew about her and her powers. They knew the invisible ball was more like a cannon ready to blow them apart. Without making any sudden moves that could irk the witch, the two Section agents stepped aside.  
  
The witch nodded her approval. "Very good!" She then spoke louder for her sister to hear her. "Paige, help Buffy!" The oldest sister's eyes never left her targets. "Don't you dare move! I get cranky when I have a bad day, and believe me. today is the mother of bad days! "  
  
"We just wanted to help!" Michael's whispering voice sounded insignificant after hearing Piper's angry loud outburst.  
  
"What?" Piper looked pissed. "Speak up!"  
  
Nikita chuckled. Few were used to Michael's way of talking. She quieted down when she saw Michael turned to look at her. God, he looks amazing when he is pissed! Well. it is actually the same look he has when he is happy, or sad, or. She chuckled again. "Ahem. sorry!"  
  
"I said ." Michael was interrupted by Buffy's voice. "They are friends."  
  
The trio turned to the Slayer. She looked totally recovered. Even her shredded blouse looked as good as new. Piper and Nikita rushed to their friend. Nikita was the first to hug her. "I am so glad you are fine."  
  
Buffy gave a quick hug to both friends and headed towards Xander who was still looking at the remnants of what was for sure the worst demon they had ever faced.  
  
*** Xander heard the squeaking sound coming out of the broken wooden logs when Buffy's small feet started moving towards him. He turned around with a big smile and hugged the Slayer tight. "We beat him, Buff!"  
  
Buffy slowly let go of the embrace. "YOU beat him Xander!" She looked intently into his brown eyes. "The question is. how?"  
  
Xander's smile died immediately. Suddenly he felt sick. The thought of how he had attained such powers was making his stomach churn. He hated himself for feeling Dawn's energy coursing through his veins. I rather be the Zeppo Xander all my life than having to tell Buffy her sister is gone. He felt like if he had stolen Dawn's essence, and he feared Buffy would feel the same way. "I. we were." The young man turned his gaze away from his friend's peering eyes. That's when he saw Cole hugging Phoebe. "YOU! You bastard!" The Slayerette spat the words like if they were pieces of rotten food. He then started firmly walking towards the good demon.  
  
Phoebe stepped in front of Cole with wide-open arms. "What's going on here, Xander?"  
  
The rest of the Scooby Gang together with the ex-Feds entered the shop. It was Giles that answered the witch's question. "Cole left us to die!"  
  
"What?" Buffy and the Halliwells looked at the demon.  
  
Cordelia was royally pissed. "The son of a bitch let all the vampires in knowing that Willow was still knocked out! He didn't care if we lived or died!"  
  
Cole grimaced. "That's not true. I care, but." He turned to face his beloved. "Phoebe. I heard Piper screaming your name! I couldn't just stay there! I had to come and help you!"  
  
Phoebe stepped back. "You shouldn't have come and you know it. Innocents are our first priority, Cole." Phoebe slowly raised her voice. "What were you thinking? Someone could have gotten hurt!"  
  
Willow had tears rolling down her cheeks. "Someone DID get hurt!" She couldn't hold it any longer and, turning to Giles, started sobbing uncontrollably. The Englishman put an arm around the witch in a paternal gesture while whispering words of comfort.  
  
That's when Buffy realized the absence of her sister. She felt a knot building up in her stomach and rushed to the back of the shop. "DAWN! DAWN!"  
  
Giles extended her free arm shaking his head. Cordelia too blocked the Slayer's path. "She isn't there."  
  
Buffy looked at both with a stunned face that quickly turned to anger. "Get out of my way!"  
  
Giles sighed, "She dissolved." Buffy shook her head in disbelief and took a step back. Her Watcher continued, "Buffy. listen to me! She turned herself into the ball of energy she once was, but instead of disappearing, she entered Xander's body. That's what changed him." Both Willow and Cordelia were nodding while Giles explained what had occurred.  
  
The Slayer took two more quick steps back and hit Xander's chest. "No, no, no! NO!" She turned, pushed him aside and ran out of the door.  
  
The young man turned his angry look towards the demon. "This is your fault!"  
  
The witch looked at her ex-husband with a hurt and hard look on her eyes. "He is right. You should leave!"  
  
Cole was surprised. "But. I did it for you! I thought you would thank me for it! Hadn't I come in time Buffy might have been killed by that monster!"  
  
"I know it is hard for you to understand this, but you can't protect me from everything and you shouldn't even try, Cole. I know you love me, but I can't be with someone that only cares about me without caring about anything or anyone else. That's the demon in you! He still makes you cold, uncaring and dangerous to everyone else." Gathering strength from her sister's supporting hand, the young witch continued, "Go.It is better this way."  
  
The demon shook his head. "I can't accept that! You know I would never hurt you!"  
  
"Maybe not!" Phoebe agreed. ".but what about my sisters? They are willing to let me die if it is necessary, if it would save others! Would you let them do it?" She answered her question by firmly shaking her head. "You wouldn't hesitate to kill them or anyone else to save me. Right?"  
  
Cole sighed, "I get your point!" His eyes were sad when he looked at the woman he adored. ".but I can't stop loving you!" Turning around, the grieving powerful demon shimmered out of the shop.  
  
*** Druscilla's Lair Thursday 9:30 PM  
  
The Laark high priest walked inside the cave, followed by Ethan Rayne. The vampire Mistress came in, swinging her hips. "Good. someone brought food! I was starving!"  
  
The Laark priest smiled. "Cute!" And with a small wave of his index finger, Druscilla was thrown 20 feet against a rock solid wall. The female vampire went down in a heap.  
  
Moltor neared the newcomer and knelt in front of him. "I am glad you are here. Everything went as planned! The Slayer and her friends dedicated their full attention to us while you could get rid of your enemies and get to Sunnydale without any interference." Moltor chuckled.  
  
Abigor's right-hand man grinned. "Yes! It would have been nice if that nuisance had been killed in the process, but then again, that would have taken away the pleasure of doing it myself!" He walked inside the wide cavernous chamber. "Moltor, you are losing your taste! Couldn't you get anything better?"  
  
The demon nodded. "I rented a mansion in the south area, outside the skirts of the town. You will feel like home there, my lord!"  
  
"Good." Abigor's favorite minion nodded. "Now, let's talk business. Did you get it?"  
  
The demon walked to a nearby closet. He opened it and pulled out a long pole which he promptly handed to the Laark priest. "The Lance of Abigor, my lord"  
  
The eyes of the newcomer shone evilly. "Yes! At last! Everything is happening as predicted eons ago. 'and Abigor will reign for a thousand years bringing chaos, pain and suffering to humanity'." He looked at Moltor. "Exciting. isn't it? All we need now is to bring my master back." The cavern enhanced the hollow laughter coming out of the mad priest.  
  
Epilogue Riverside Cemetery, Sunnydale, Friday 2:30PM.  
  
All the Scooby Gang, the Charmed Ones and ex-FBI agents were gathered around the new grave. It read 'DAWN SUMMERS, Loving Sister, Friend and Daughter. We will miss you forever'.  
  
Only one of them noticed how the bright sunny afternoon was suddenly becoming darker and slowly started accumulating strange gray clouds.  
  
Soon a heavy rain fell on those that were present, but no one moved. Hot tears got mixed with the water falling from the sky.  
  
Xander's face turned south. He could feel the evil growing. Something was about to happen, and he would be ready for it. The young warrior was not going to let anyone ever hurt his friends again, not while he was still breathing.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted when Buffy's anguish racked her body. The Slayerette gently placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. The grieving Slayer didn't resist, instead she leaned on his chest. .yes, I will be ready, but now I'm needed here; it is time to mourn. There will be time to kill later.  
  
On the south side of Sunnydale, Abigor's high priest was staring through the window at the pouring rain. Soon, master, soon Turning to his follower, the Laark priest spoke with clearly false sentiment, "I think it is time for me to give my condolences to the Slayer, Ethan. The poor thing must be devastated by her sister's death." Chuckling, the former head of the Watchers Council, Mr. Quentin Travers, picked up his coat and headed outside.  
  
Ethan Rayne smiled when he heard his master's evil laugh slowly disappearing behind the closed door.  
  
THE END (.for now.)  
  
Author's notes: Feedback please. I would say this is my first serious fanfic writing attempt. It is a sequel, but Forging Alliances was in my opinion too short to count! Flames and Praising are both welcome, but if there are too many Flames my hurt feelings might stop me from writing another story! Smooth  
  
Glosary:  
  
Abigor: Dictionnaire Infernal - Collin de Plancy (1863) - paraphrased Abigor presents himself as a horseman carrying a lance, a standard, and a scepter. He commands sixty legions & is a grand duke of hell. He knows of the secrets of warfare, of the future, and can instruct leaders of the ways to earn their soldiers' respect.  
  
Pseudomonarchia daemonum - Johann Wier (1583) - quoted: Eligor, alias Abigor, is a great duke, and appeereth as a goodlie [handsome] knight, carrieng a lance, an ensigne, and a scepter: he answereth fullie of things hidden, and of warres, and how souldiers should meete: he knoweth things to come, and procureth the favour of lords and knights, governing sixtie legions of divels.  
  
Taken from:   
----------------------- [1] Well, Christmas must have come early this year  
  
1 Foris: Latin: Entrance, Opening  
  
2 Contego Perfringo: To break through the Shield. 'Contego': Latin: Shield. 'Perfringo': Latin: To break through, penetrate, shatter.  
  
1 I hope she's in a good mood  
  
1 Abicio Belua: Latin : Destroy/Kill and Throw demon away  
  
1 Tap Block: A block used in some Martial Arts as Jujitsu, Kali from the Philippines, Kempo Karate, and Aikido where the defendant doesn't stop the incoming blow, but instead it deflects its trajectory by tapping with an open palm on the attacker's arm. 


End file.
